MARGAO
All eyes are on the elections for the posts of chairperson and vice-chairperson of Cuncolim Municipal Council scheduled for Thursday morning, with the BJP-backed group fielding candidates for the two posts.
In another development, the nine-member group of Joaquim-Yuri Alemao-backed Congress councillors are still housed in a city hotel and are expected to all come together just before the elections on Thursday.
While the post of CMC chairperson will witness a straight fight between Congress nominee Prof Laximan Naik and BJP’s Vishal Desai, Xavier Vaz, backed by the Congress group will lock horns against the BJP-backed Rupa Gaonkar for the post of vice-Chairperson.
While the Congress candidates Prof Laximan Naik and Anthony Vaz had filed their nomination papers on Tuesday, the five-member BJP group came in strength to the office of the Chief Officer to hand over the nomination papers of Vishal Desai and Rupa Gaonkar on Wednesday.
After filing the nomination papers, BJP nominee for the chairperson’s post, Vishal Desai said the five member BJP group has decided to contest the election as per the party’s decision that the chairperson or vice-chairperson should not get elected unopposed.
Besides Vishal and Rupa, newly elected councillors Videsh Desai and Polita Carneiro along with Independent councillor Rahul Desai also accompanied the candidates to the Chief Officer's office.
“Our group comprises of five members and the rival group has claimed it has nine members. We have filed our nomination papers as per the instructions of the party leadership”, Vishal said.
To a question whether they have been in touch with newly-elected councillors from the rival group, Vishal replied with a firm no, but said if any of the councillors want to support him, they are welcome.
While Prof Laximan’s candidature was proposed by Udesh Naik Desai, Videsh Desai proposed Vishal's name for the post of the Chairperson.
Meanwhile, former Cuncolim MLA Joaquim Alemao said though several attempts were made to wean away the Congress councilors, the Congress party will form the council as per the mandate given by the people of Cuncolim. “Voters have given a clear mandate for the Yuri Alemao and Congress party to form the Council. All our nine Councilors are united and those who plan to wean away our Councilors will not succeed”, Joaquim asserted.
