Captured by : babush
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BABUSH'S ARITHMETIC: ONLY
6 MORE TO GAIN MAJORITY
* His panel is confident of winning over 20 seats in the polls to Corporation of City of Panaji
* Expects 8 seats in Taleigao and Caranzalem and the two currently occupied by Ruth and Surendra Furtado
* Says former CCP Mayor Surendra Furtado, clinching these 10 would mean the panel will need only six more to gain majority
* Four to five candidates on Babush-Surendra panel are former BJP karyakartas, says Furtado
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TOUGH TASK FOR BJP?
Going by this arithmetic, it appears that BJP has an uphill battle in order to manage 16 seats in Panaji to cross the 50 per cent hurdle
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PANAJI: Former member of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee and presently unattached St Cruz MLA Antanasio 'Babush' Monserrate has brushed aside speculations of a split in Congress votes owing to Congress' announcement that it would back a 30-member panel for the upcoming Corporation of City of Panaji polls.
Speaking to The Goan, Antanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate stated, “My fight is against BJP. It is the anti-Babush votes that will be split between the remaining panels. Hence, the more people stand for elections, better it is for my panel.”
Congress in-charge for CCP polls Pandurang Madkaikar, however, offered a different line of vision countering Babush’s grand agenda.
“As he admits that anti-Babush votes exist, we want it known that our panel will target these anti-Babush and anti-BJP votes. Anti-incumbency has taken deep roots in Panaji with same candidates being in power in the civic body for over ten years,” Madkaikar warned.
The Cumbharjua MLA said that the anti-Babush and anti-BJP votes reflect the same faces as the two factions have worked together over a decade to ensure that power remains within them.
“These panels have constantly fielded the same tainted candidates and shared seats. Our panel will be fresh with new aspirations reflecting the real concerns of Panaji,” Madkaikar stated.
Sources informed that around seven to eight candidates on Congress-backed 30-member panel will be fresh faces contesting an election for the very first time. Sameer Raikar, president of Panaji Congress block is likely to be one of these first-timers.
A core committee of Congress, led by Cumbarjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, is in the process of finalising the Congress-backed panel. This panel is likely to be announced on January 8 or 9.
Incidentally, Congressman Surendra Furtado, who continues to support 29-member panel floated by Monserrate, insisted that Congress votes will not be subjected to a split.
"CCP polls have always been fought on individual lines. In civic polls, people vote for the candidate rather than with a particular panel in mind," Furtado argued.
While the three-time corporator has been playing it safe and cordial with Congress, GPCC officials including its president Luizinho Faleiro have continued to dodge questions pertaining to a possible electoral face-off with one of their own.
