MAPUSA
At least two Congressmen are expected to join the saffron party and contest the ensuing civic elections on the BJP panel in Mapusa.
The BJP is also expected to field a former chairperson against another ex-chairperson and Congressman Sudhir Kandolkar, to spice up the contest in Ward 19.
Except for a couple of wards which may need a little fine tuning, the BJP has finalised the candidates in almost all 20 wards in the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC).
Local MLA Joshua D’Souza, who has been in the forefront in selecting the candidates, has played a key role to strike a balance between the old winning horses and some new faces.
The party expects to field fresh faces for Wards 1, 11, 13 and 14 while Wards 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 16, 18, 19 and 20 will see the wives and husbands of former councillors and some aspirants who contested the elections previously. The outgoing councillors will be re-nominated for Wards 7, 8, 9, 12, 15 and 17.
One of the Congressmen is expected to join the BJP and contest in one of the reserved wards, while the other is expected to contest from a general ward.
A senior BJP functionary who looks after the affairs in Mapusa informed that both candidates had approached the party and expressed their wish to contest on the BJP panel.
Meanwhile, former MMC chairperson Rupa Bhakta has accepted the challenge and decided to contest in Ward 20 against her former colleague and heavyweight candidate, Sudhir Kandolkar.
“I am a committed member of the BJP. Since the party has reposed faith in me and asked me to contest from Ward 20, I will go all out,” Bhakta told The Goan.
The former chairperson was on the lookout for an alternative soon after her Ward 11 was reserved for Scheduled Caste.
Although she was more inclined and staked claim to contest from Ward 10, the party persuaded her to contest from Ward 19 against Kandolkar.
Attempts to contact Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza were unsuccessful as his cell phone was unreachable.
Two nominations filed in Mapusa
MAPUSA: Two nominations were filed on Friday for the election to the Mapusa Municipal Council, on the second day of filing of nomination papers.
Narayan Nandu Nagvekar and Nandu Narayan Nagvekar, both from the same family, have filed nominations for Ward 7, which is a general ward.
Returning Officer Mamu Hage informed that only two nominations were received for the MMC election.
No nominations were filed on the first day.
The elections to 11 municipal councils and one Corporation City of Panaji will be held on March 20.
... Two in Canacona
CANACONA: Two candidates on Friday filed their nominations in two wards for the Canacona Municipal Council elections.
Returning Officer Satish Prabhu received the nominations of Supriya Dessai from Ward 3 (Delem-Mastimoll), which is reserved for women, and Pandurang Naikgaunkar from the general Ward 4 (Mastimoll).
Nominations are open from February 25 to March 4, while scrutiny will take place on March 6.
The number of wards in CMC has increased from 10 to 12 and 10,157 voters in Canacona municipality will be eligible to exercise their franchise.
