MARGAO
BJP’s attempt to dislodge Congress-controlled Cuncolim Municipal Council has come a cropper as the no-confidence motion tabled against Chairperson Laxman Naik seemed to have finally fizzled out for want of numbers required to call a meeting to discuss the motion.
While the Congress-led camp, including the Goa Forward Party, appeared upbeat over the unfolding developments in the municipality, they, however, seemed to tread a cautious path lest they are taken by surprise a la the tussle for honours at the Margao Municipal Council.
Sources in the office of the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA) informed there’s no question now to convene a special meeting of the council to discuss the no-trust motion tabled by the BJP after one of the signatories withdrew their signature from the notice.
Officials in the know further informed that the Amendment to the Goa Municipalities Act on no-confidence mandates the majority of members of a civic body to move the motion. In the case of the Cuncolim chairperson, sources said there ought to have been eight signatories to the motion given that the Cuncolim has a 14-member civic body.
“There’s no question of convening a special meeting of the Cuncolim municipality to discuss the no-trust motion since the notice does not meet the mandatory requirements,” informed a senior official attached to the DMA office.
Officials seemed relieved over the developments in the civic body after a signatory Raymond D’Souza withdrew his consent.
Otherwise, DMA Gurudas Pilarnekar would have come under sharp focus since he would be required to take a call on the no-trust motion tabled by seven CMC councillors when the Amendment mandated signatures of eight councillors in a 14-member civic body, to move the motion, sources added.
The no-confidence motion was signed by the five BJP-backed councillors led by Virendra Desai, the brother-in-law of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Rahul Desai, Polita Carneiro, Vishal Desai and Rupa Gaonkar, besides Uddesh Desai and Raymond D’Souza, with the last named subsequently withdrawing his consent.
Cuncolim MLA braces to effect change in leadership in council
MARGAO:
Having successfully warded off the determined bid made by the BJP to control the Cuncolim civic body, the Cuncolim Congress camp headed by MLA & Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao seemed bracing up to effect a change in leadership in the municipality.
Sources said Cuncolim Municipal chairperson Laxman Naik is not averse to putting in his papers if asked by the Joaquim-Yuri duo. In fact, with the incumbent Chairperson having completed over a year and a half in office, the Yuri camp may be open to effecting a change in the leadership via rotation of the post.
Sources, however, said the Yuri camp may not take chances any longer and may soon zero in on Laxman’s successor.
