HEADING
BATTLE ROYALE IN CANACONA
STRAP
Key bigwigs aim for upper hand in 10-member Council
BOX
GOING DOWN SOUTH
THE NUMBERS
* 31 candidates in fray
* Prarthana Ramakant Naik Gaonkar elected unopposed from Kindlem Ward 5
* Electorate strength: 8,748 voters (excluding 804 voters of Ward 5)
INFLUENTIAL PLAYERS
- Canacona MLA and Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar
- Former minister Isidore Fernandes
- Former BJP MLA Vijay Poi Khot
TOP CONTESTANTS
- CMC chairperson Simon Rebello, who is re-contesting from Palolem-I Ward, is pitted against arch-rival and former CMC deputy chairperson and BJP-backed candidate, Dayanand Pagui
++++++++++++
CANACONA
With political bigwigs keen to affirm their supremacy in the civic polls, the battle for Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) has picked up momentum in the past few days.
The 10-member council has a voting strength of 9,552 voters, but 804 of them will not be expected to cast their votes on October 25, following the unopposed election of Kindlem Ward 5 councillor, Prarthana Ramakant Naik Gaonkar.
The remaining 8,748 voters eligible to cast their votes to elect the remaining nine councillors are in Nagarcem (976), Chaudi (927), Mastimoll (1,148), Ponsulem (1,002), Kindlebhag-Tarir (854), Patnem (1,076), Sawantwada (956), Palolem I (855) and Palolem II (954).
While all 31 candidates in fray are presently involved in personally meeting their supporters, the panel backed by the BJP is engaged in frequent corner meetings, mostly addressed by Canacona MLA and Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar.
Incidentally, former minister Isidore Fernandes has also begun to interact with the electorate and has been spotted moving in municipal areas, accompanied by candidates of the respective wards.
Fernandes is known to wield considerably political clout in municipal areas and his presence assumes significance given that former BJP MLA Vijay Poi Khot is also supporting candidates opposed to those backed by Tawadkar.
“Yes, I am closely associated in canvassing for the candidates who share a common goal to defeat BJP’s nefarious and hidden ploy to hijack Canacona Municipal Council’s progress,” Fernandes told 'The Goan'.
With Fernandes and Poi Khot getting into the election mood and that too with a common anti-BJP agenda, there has been some anxiety among the BJP-backed candidates. Aware that their success is not necessarily assured despite the support of the Sports Minister, the BJP-backed candidates have begun working overtime in their efforts to meet the electorate.
For CMC chairperson Simon Rebello, who is re-contesting from Palolem-I Ward, the stakes are particularly high.
Rebello is contesting from the key ward of Palolem-I and is pitted against arch-rival and former CMC deputy chairperson Dayanand Pagui.
Pagui had previously represented the ward and he was succeeded by his wife. The Pagui couple's two-term in power ended when Dayanand lost the CMC polls in 2010.
Aware that he is one of the biggest big targets of Tawadkar, Rebello and his supporters have been on a hectic door-to-door campaign.
With Pagui strongly backed by the BJP, the former deputy chairperson is desperate to wrest the seat from his arch rival, Rebello.
