the goan I network
CANACONA
The Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) could witness a new chairperson, with CMC Chairperson Prathana Naik Gaunkar likely to step down next week, but her successor may have to compete with other aspirants to the post.
Prathana, wife of former CMC Chairperson Ramakant Naik Gaunkar, is due to complete a two-year term period in early November.
The chairperson's post at the CMC is reserved for women.
Incidentally, the 5-5 tie had also given Poi Khot's group a second stroke of luck, when a young first time councilor from Rajbag-Tarir, Samita Dhuri defeated seasoned Palolem councilor Dayanand Pagui again in a draw of lots to become vice-chairperson.
This 5-5 divide of opposition councillors as BJP loyalists and ruling councillors group, Poi-Khot's supporters continued to remain firm even after the assembly elections.
These loyalties, however, changed two months ago, when Mastimoll councillor Kishore Shet accompanied the ruling group led by Vijay Poi Khot to meet Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and vouch support to the ruling council making it 6-4 in the CMC, with the four councillors extending support to former BJP leader and ex-minister Ramesh Tawadkar.
According to sources, Naik Gaunkar is likely to resign as CMC chairperson sometime before November 10, in a mutual arrangement to vacate after a two-year tenure.
"An agreement is an agreement and Prathana, who got elected unopposed from the woman-reserved Kindlem ward, has no intention to go against this arrangement. She will honour the agreement as agreed within the group by putting in her papers," confirmed a source close to the chairperson.
Following BJP's recent moves to strengthen the party in Canacona by bringing all dissenters who revolted against the party following a denial of ticket to former minister Tawadkar, all four councillors from Tawadkar's group also attended a meeting convened by BJP state leaders at Poi Khot's residence.
Tawadkar's influence in the council may seem bleak, but getting all 10 councillors to work together may be easier said than done.
The original Poi Khot group had three women councillors, with Naik Gaunkar, Dhuri and Chaudi Councilor Chaya Komarpant, while Nitu Dessai was the lone woman councillor on the other side.
It is learnt that Nitu Dessai is likely to stake claim to the post of CMC chairperson once vacated by Naik Gaunkar and the chances of Samita Dhuri getting elevated to the coveted post has also not been ruled out, thereby triggering another clash for the top post at CMC.
