the goan I network
CANACONA
The BJP is confronted with its own battle of sorts to both ZP seats in Canacona taluka even before the ZP polls take place.
While the BJP has to take a call on four claimants to the Poinguinim ZP seat, it also has to quell rebellion over the allocation of the party ticket to the sitting ZP member for the Khola seat on Saturday.
While dissent is building up within the BJP over the allocation of the party ticket to sitting ZP member Shanu Velip, Dy Chief Minister Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar and Dy Speaker and Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes convened a closed-door meeting with Shanu Velip and the aggrieved ticket aspirant, Sanju Naik, in Canacona on Friday.
According to reliable sources, Naik, a close aide of Fernandes who had also left the Congress and joined the BJP after Fernandes had switched sides, continued to insist on his claim to the BJP ticket to the Khola seat. Naik has openly revolted and has threatened to contest as independent if denied the BJP ticket to contest from the Khola seat. Shanu Velip is reported to have agreed to go with the party’s decision, even though his candidature had been virtually finalised.
Fernandes is reported to have sided with Naik’s contention that since since the Khola ZP seat is unreserved and open to the general category, the BJP should give the ticket to a non-ST aspirant. According to reliable sources, state party leaders has invited both, Shanu Velip and Sanju Naik, as well as Kavlekar and Fernandes for a meeting at the party headquarters on Saturday.
When asked what would be his stand if the BJP were to deny the ticket to Sanju Naik and if he were to contest ZP polls as an independent candidate, Fernandes replied: “I will work for Sanju Naik, provided he is contesting as an independent and not on any other party ticket. I feel Naik’s claim to the ticket is justified. Now, the party has to take a final call as the candidate (Shanu Velip) has no issue if party changes its decision.”
Meanwhile, the BJP leadership will also resolve on Saturday the battle among four candidates vying for the BJP ticket to contest the Poinguinim ZP seat. According to sources, there are four main claimants for the Poinguinim ZP seat which is reserved for ST women. The candidates are Gaondongrim Sarpanch Suman Mahesh Gaonkar, Leena Dev Gaonkar of Nanem-Gaondongrim, Ranjana Rohidas Velip of Shisheval-Poinguinim and Shobana S Velip of Shristhal.
