MAPUSA
Voters of Bardez preferred to play it safe by electing new faces along with experience even as most of the MLAs by and large managed to keep their hold in their constituencies.
In several panchayats, people rejected panels floated by seasoned politicians and preferred to give Independents a chance.
Calangute is one such classic example where almost five members in the 11-member panchayat who were elected are Independents.
Several new members, some of whom are youth, have been elected from the panchayats of Aldona, Moira, Calangute, Parra, Nerul and Anjuna while many experienced members were re-elected in Candolim, Nachinola, Arpora-Nagoa, Bastora, Tivim and other areas.
People rejected long-serving members and former sarpanchas like Savio Almeida of Anjuna panchayat and Sylvester Fernandes of Siolim-Marna panchayat.
Former sarpanchas - Francis Fernandes and Leo Dias of Siolim-Sodiem village panchayat also lost.
In the high-stakes battle for the Calangute panchayat, the ‘Together for Calangute’ panel floated by local MLA Michael Lobo fared badly with just three of his candidates getting elected, one of whom within a half hour after getting elected switched sides and joined the group of former sarpanch Joseph Sequeira.
However, Lobo’s panels did exceedingly well in Candolim, Arpora-Nagoa and Parra.
“The Independents have won. We respect the verdict of the people of Calangute with all humility. We will overcome our shortcomings and continue to work for the people. In many places, a split in votes due to a friendly fight cost us,” said Shawn Martins, who was spearheading the campaign of 'Together for Calangute'.
Similarly, the panels floated by Tourism Minister & Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte did very well in Penha-de-Franca and Socorro panchayats but lost out in Salvador-do-Mundo.
In Tivim, Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar managed to wrest control of five panchayats “ Camurlim, Revora, Pirna, Tivim and Assonora “ out of the total eight panchayats in the constituency.
“We managed to elect just one member in the Sirsaim panchayat and are neck to neck in Colvale and Nadora,” Halarnkar told The Goan.
Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo said that members of her panel have done very well in all the panchayats in the Siolim constituency.
“It was a difficult election but the people of Siolim have made it simple for us. Our panel in all six panchayats has won,” Lobo said.
The panel backed by local MLA Carlos Ferreira swept the Aldona panchayat election by bagging seven out of the 11 wards up for grabs.
Ferreira also claimed that except for the Bastora panchayat, the members backed by him in Moira, Nachinola, Ucassaim and Pomburpa-Olaulim have done well.
Saligao MLA Kedar Naik has swept the Reis Magos panchayat with his panel winning in all the 11 panchayats and doing very well in the neighbouring Nerul panchayat.
Naik also said that panels supported by him will also form the panchayats in Saligao, Sangolda and Guirim.
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Nail biting finish for some
MAPUSA:
It was touch and go for several candidates in Bardez as some got elected by draw of lots while others won by as narrow a margin as one vote.
In Saligao panchayat, the votes polled by former sarpanch Eknath Oraskar and Ramdas Konadkar ended in a tie with both poling 163 votes.
In the resulting draw of lots, Oraskar lost out to newbie Konadkar in Ward 3 of the Saligao panchayat.
In Ucassaim, Gauravi Madgaonkar won by just one vote against her nearest rival Gurudas Gadekar from ward 7.
For Sunita Salgoankar, a postal vote made a huge difference after she pipped her rival by the postal vote in Ward 3 of the Tivim panchayat.
Similarly, Shubam Parab won from ward 5 in Tivim by a margin of three votes.
