MAPUSA
In a one way contest, the panel hosted by former president of Mapusa comunidade and a seasoned politician Michael Carrasco lost to the opposition group of like-minded gaunkars in the election to choose the new managing committee of Mapusa comunidade.
While Salvador Pinto, a senior comunidade member was elected unopposed as the new president of the Mapusa comunidade, elections were held for the posts of attorney and treasurer.
In the election to the key attorney post, Carrasco lost to Dr Shivanand Gauns by a margin of 26 votes.
Similarly, for the treasurer’s post Steven Coutinho defeated Victor D’Mello of the Carrasco panel by a margin of 66 votes.
Carrasco was backed by Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza.
Lucindo Faria, Rahul Faria and Jacinto Pinto were elected as substitute president, attorney and treasurer respectively.
The elections were conducted in a peaceful manner.
Dr Shivanand Gauns attributed the victory of the group to the good interest shown by the components of the comunidade to have a clean and purposeful administration.
“Those who voted us wanted a clean and efficient administration. And we will not disappoint the people who have reposed faith on us,” Gauns said.
He disclosed that initially he was not keen to contest the election due to his busy schedule but later changed his mind because of requests from senior and eminent people.
“This will be my last election because we want the younger generation to take over,” he said.
President Salvador Pinto said the new committee will work to provide a transparent administration in the comunidade.
“It’s a big responsibility on us to live up to the expectations of the people. We assure our members that the functioning of the comunidade will be conducted in a transparent manner which will be beneficial to our members, people of Mapusa and to the people of Goa,” Pinto said.
He said the new committee which is a group of like-minded persons will strive to inculcate the old family values in the comunidade functioning.
According to Michael Carrasco, they had good support of local gaunkas but lost on the support of gaunkars from “outside”.
“We also had support from the gaunkars who reside out of Goa but the opposition group had more support from outside. That turned the equation against us,” Carrasco said.
