Canacona council leadership issue: CM for meet in Panaji

“The chief minister did not have the time or privacy to engage with the CMC councillors. Even a last attempt at a late evening meeting in the residence of former MLA Poi Khot’s residence failed to materialize, with someone or the other holding interactions with him,” a source told The Goan.   

“Finally, Parrikar told the councillors to meet him in Panaji, to finalize the leadership issue and to decide who will be the next CMC chairperson. He offered to give them an appointment, either on January 20 or 21,” the source added.   

Parrikar had reportedly assured some councillors of resolving the CMC leadership issue during his Canacona visit, when they had called on him in Panaji a fortnight ago.   

Prathana Naik Gaunkar’s election as chairperson, a post reserved for women, had taken place under most unusual circumstances when she and Deputy Chairperson Samita Dhuri won by draw of lots after both were locked 5-5 with Councilors Neetu Samir Dessai and Dayanand Pagui respectively.   

With the ruling and opposition tied at five seats apiece, there have been fears that the opposition could grab power in CMC and that has prompted Prathana Naik Gaunkar to reportedly delay her resignation on two occasions.   

The five-member ruling group, which had an arrangement to rotate the chairperson’s post among them after two years, has two more women councillors, Deputy Chairperson Samita Dhuri and Chaya Komarpant, while the other five-member group has a lone woman councillor, Neeta Dessai, vying for the top post. In a twist of events, the 10-member council has now begun to sing a unity tune, claiming all are BJP-backed councilors, while there are still three contenders for the post of CMC chairperson reserved for woman.   

With all 10 members claiming allegiance to the BJP, the chief minister has been asked to break the impasse with his decision to rotate the post 

for the remaining two-and-half years.