MARGAO
Attribute it to the birthday celebration of councillor Damu Naik or simply an attempt to keep the flock safe from poaching by the rival camp, most of the BJP councillors of the Margao Municipal Council were moved to a starred resort at Betalbatim on Monday evening.
That the BJP-backed councillors were housed at the resort has only raised many an eyebrow when the rival Goa Forward Party camp announced on Sunday that they will abstain from the October 12 poll for the Margao civic chief.
Sources in the know, however, said the BJP leadership and the Margao MLA seemed to have not taken any chances, with just a day to go for the filing of nominations for the election scheduled on Wednesday.
For, sources informed that the BJP-backed councillors have not been informed of the group’s candidate till Monday noon. It’s still unclear whether the councillors would be officially informed of the candidature later Monday night or Tuesday morning, just hours before the process for filing nomination papers draws to a close on Tuesday noon.
Why the BJP leadership has still kept the candidature’s name under wraps remains unclear or why the leadership has taken its flock to the starred resort when the Goa Forward had gone on record Sunday night itself that it will abstain from the election, has thrown up questions, whether the BJP leadership is wary of any rebellion in the group over the Chairperson’s candidature as witnessed at the September 16 poll for the coveted post, when five party-backed councillors had cross voted against Damu Shirodkar. Or, whether the party leadership is not taking any chances, more so as resentment seemed brewing over the induction of the eight Kamat-backed councillors into the BJP when they were invited to Panaji on Sunday just for a meeting with the Chief Minister.
That’s not all. The BJP is yet to unveil its name for the post of vice-chairperson, which is likely to fall vacant after the election for the Chairperson’s post. The vice-chairperson’s post, sources in the ruling party said will go to a councillor from the Fatorda area, if Damu Shirodkar, representing the Aquem-Margao area in the civic body is nominated for the chairperson’s post.
Sources, however, said that there may a tussle for the vice-chairperson within the BJP group, with councillor Camilo Barretto making no bones of his plan to stake a claim for the post. On the other hand, sources do not rule out the possibility of Goa Forward-turned-BJP councillor Shweta Lotlikar staking a claim for the vice-chairperson’s post.
