THE GOAN NETWORK
PERNEM
The BJP-backed candidates won six seats while four independent candidates won in the remaining four wards in the 10-member Pernem Municipal Council (PMC) elections.
The BJP received a further boost when independent candidates, Manoj Harmalkar and Shivram Tukoji, who defeated BJP candidates, have announced their support to Deputy Chief Minister Babu Ajgaonkar, while the remaining 2 councillors, Ashwini Palienkar and Vishakha Gadekar, are also rumoured to be planning to support the deputy CM.
The biggest defeat at the PMC polls was when former chairpersons, Vasudev Deshprabhu and Shraddha Mashelkar, who lost to an independent candidate Shivram Tukoji in in Ward 7.
The winning candidates from the BJP panel were Rakhi Kashalkar, Usha Nagvekar, Trupti Sawal Desai, Madhav Sinai Desai, Vishnu Salgaonkar and Siddhesh Pednekar, while the independent candidates who won were Manoj Harmalkar, Ashwini Palienkar, Vishakha Gadekar and Shivram Tukoji.
Incidentally, only two of the six former chairpersons contesting in the election won in their wards.
Deputy Chief Minister Babu Ajgaonkar said it was BJP's victory at the PMC elections.
“We had given the right candidates to voters and some candidates lost by small margins. We will take everyone into confidence in the development of Pernem town,” said Ajgaonkar, while participating in the victory rally of some successful candidates.
The results at the PMC elections were: WARD 1: Manoj Harmalkar (171), WARD 2: Ashwini Palienkar (181), WARD 3: Rakhi Kashalkar (129), WARD 4: Usha Nagvekar (280), WARD 5: Vishakha Gadekar (179), WARD 6: Trupti Sawal Desai (265), WARD 7: Shivram Tukoji (182), WARD 8: Madhav Sinai Desai (281), WARD 9: Siddhesh Pednekar (211) and WARD 10: Vishnu Salgaonkar (148).
