MARGAO
The saffron flag few atop the Margao municipal building for the first time in 17 years after BJP-backed Chairperson Damu Shirodkar finally made it to the top civic post unopposed on Wednesday.
None other than the newly-elected chairperson, who had embraced the saffron party on Sunday, gave full credit to Congress-turned-BJP Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, asserting that the Lotus has bloomed in the civic body within two months of Kamat embracing the ruling party.
After the Presiding Officer Vikas Gaunekar declared Damu elected unopposed as the new Margao civic chief after receiving his lone nomination, the newly-elected chairperson said “Today is a historic day. The Margao municipality was not with the BJP. It’s only after the Margao MLA joined the BJP, the saffron party is now ruling the civic body after 17 years.”
He added: The Margao MLA has shown within two months by bringing the BJP back to power in the Margao Municipal Council. Kamat has been my political guru. He has groomed me for this big post. I cannot forget the role played by the Margao MLA.”
Damu also did not forget what he termed as an important role played by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant behind his election. Without making any reference to the Ordinance promulgated by the government making the election of municipal chairpersons and vice-chairpersons by show of hands, Damu said: “The Chief Minister played his role after he realised that injustice has been done on Damu. The BJP believes in the Constitution and the CM played his role.”
Damu also highlighted the role played by former Fatorda MLA & BJP leader Damu Naik, with sources saying the latter ensured that the councillors from Fatorda all backed his candidature.
The last time the BJP was ruling the Margao Municipal Council was between 2000-2005 when Kamat was part of the saffron party. The BJP, however, lost control over the civic body at the fag end of the term after Kamat quit to embrace the Congress in 2002. Then BJP-backed municipal chairperson Kamlini Painginkar was voted out of office amid the changing political equations in the civic body.
Since then to date, power and control of the Margao civic body had eluded the BJP over the last 17 years despite repeated attempts by the party leadership.
