Ward No 1 contestant files plaint before SEC
PANAJI
A day after one of the candidates from the panel floated by Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate was elected unopposed, one of the contestants who has filed his nomination from Ward no 1 of the Taleigao panchayat has filed a complaint before the State Election Commission alleging intimidation to withdraw from the contest.
April 20 (Friday) is the day earmarked for contestants to withdraw their nominations.
Mayur Uskaikar, who has filed his nomination from Ward No. 1 has also filed a formal complaint before the State Election Commission alleging intimidation to get him to withdraw.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party leader Cecille Rodrigues, who is backing Mayur and accompanied him to file the complaint, alleged that even before the scrutiny of papers was done by the returning officer, current Deputy Sarpanch Regha Pai and Taleigao ZP member Anjali Naik reached his house and attempted to pressurise his mother and school-going sister to get him to withdraw his nomination.
Rodrigues took aim at Monserrate, saying the minister only makes tall claims about his political strength but in reality he is afraid to face the electorate.
“He makes big claims that he wants the opposition to get an opportunity and he is not afraid. Why then is his team putting so much pressure on a poor OBC youth?” Rodrigues asked, addressing a press conference late on Friday night.
She said it goes to prove that Monserrate’s power to win elections is a myth and all that he can and does is threaten and coerce poor people and individuals. “He has no confidence to fight a free and fair election and win. He is fit to be in the BJP as he embodies their policy of buying out or threatening the opposition to ensure an electoral win, hook or by crook,” Rodrigues alleged.
Meanwhile, the candidate from Monserrate’s panel in Ward no. X was elected unopposed as his was the only nomination received by the Returning Officer until Thursday, which was the deadline.
The 11-member Taleigao Panchayat elections are slated to be held on April 28.
Apart from this ward X where Sagar Bandekar is elected unopposed, in nine other wards, the returning officer has received nominations of two candidates in each. In one ward, three have filed papers.
Polling will be held through ballot papers from 8 am to 5 pm on April 28 and the term of the current body is slated to expire on May 8 before which the new elected body will take charge.
