MARGAO
Will the ruling BJP and Goa Forward Party once again lock horns to wrest control of the Margao Municipal Council, this time to control the statutory committees, including the crucial standing committee?
This question is doing the rounds in the corridors of the civic body and outside with Chairperson Damu Shirodkar convening a special meeting of the council on November 4 at 4 pm to hold an election to elect six members of the standing committee, besides election to elect four members of the subjects committee "A" (Markets, Gardens and Library).
The meeting will also constitute the Garbage and Sanitation Committee.
The council at its meeting on October 19 resolved to constitute the Standing Committee with eight members including Chairperson and Vice Chairperson; Subjects Committee 'A' (Markets, Garden and library) with five members including Vice-Chairperson as ex-Officio Chairperson; and the Sanitation and Garbage Committee.
Blank nomination forms are available at the Chief Officer's office. The nomination forms duly filled in and signed by the proposer and candidate must be delivered to the Chief Officer on or before 1 pm on November 4.
The Goan understands that the ruling BJP group in the civic body had a meeting at a city hotel on Tuesday evening to take stock of the situation ahead of the November 4 election for the statutory committees. Sources said that Congress-turned-BJP Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, BJP leader Damu Naik and the party-backed councillors, including Chairperson Damu Shirodkar attended the meeting.
Sources said the party leaders discussed how to go about the election in a bid to control the statutory panels. Sources said BJP councillor Camilo Barreto also raised the issue of the party candidate for the post of Vice-Chairperson. Kamat, however, is believed to have told the councillor that the issue of the vice-chairperson will be decided by the group next week.
On the other hand, the Goa Forward leaders led by Durgadas Kamat are believed to have discussed the ensuing polls for the standing committee with a couple of councillors, though no formal meeting with the opposition councillors has taken place to date.
The moot questions, however, remain answered “ Will the Goa Forward contest the election for the standing committee? Will the chairperson go for election by secret ballot if the ruling and opposition group decide to cross swords again?
The government had brought an Ordinance on the eve of the election for the Margao civic chief to hold voting by show of hands. It is not clear whether the election will be held by show of hands or via secret ballot given that the election for the standing committee and subject committee speaks of preferential voting.
