CCP polls: 1st-time candidate Po to contest against sitting Mayor

A candidate of the Ami Panjekar panel Dr Sheetal Dattaprasad Naik of Ward 6 filing her CCP nomination in Panaji on Monday. Utpal Parrikar and former mayor Surendra Furtado are also seen.

PANAJI

A keen political contest is shaping up ahead of the March 11 elections to the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), with 24-year-old first-time candidate John Po entering the fray from Ward 4 against sitting Mayor Rohit Monserrate. Po is contesting on the Ami Panjekar panel floated by Utpal Parrikar, setting the stage for a closely watched battle in the prominent ward.

In another notable development, Leonio Furtado, son of former Mayor Surendra Furtado, has filed his nomination from Ward 7, marking his electoral debut. He replaces his mother, Ruth Furtado, who has opted not to contest this time. Surendra Furtado is also in the fray and is projected as the mayoral face of the Ami Panjekar panel.

On Monday, a total of 22 candidates filed their nominations for the CCP polls across various wards. Nearly 20 of them are from the Ami Panjekar panel. Among other prominent candidates, TTAG President Jack Sukhija filed his nomination from Ward 18.

The BJP-backed Babush Monserrate panel has already completed the filing of nominations for all 30 wards. The Ami Panjekar panel is set to contest in 28 wards, with the remaining candidates expected to file their papers on Tuesday, the final day for nominations.

The Ami Panjekar list features several familiar faces, as Parrikar has largely reposed faith in former councillors and seasoned members, including Dr Sheetal Naik, Shubhada Dhond, Vishnu Naik and others.

Since the commencement of the nomination process, a total of 54 nominations have been filed for the upcoming civic polls.

Among those who filed nominations on Monday are: John Po (Ward IV – General), Dr Sheetal Naik (Ward VI – OBC), Leonio Furtado (Ward VII – General), Vishnu Naik (Ward X – General), Rahul Yadalli (Ward XI – General), Shabnam Khan (Ward XII – General), Nilkanth Chari (Ward XIII – General), Shambu Fatarpekar (Ward XIV – OBC), Rohidas Naik (Ward XV – OBC), Pranjal Naik (Ward XVI – Women), Jack Sukhija (Ward XVII – General), Ashish Nagvekar (Ward XVIII – General), Deodita Vianna Pereira (Ward XIX – Women), Govind Chodankar and Mahesh Revankar (Ward XX – General), Balchandra Tarker Pednekar (Ward XXI – OBC), Nitin Narvekar (Ward XXIV – General), Madhavi Amonkar (Ward XXV – Women), Shubhada Dhond (Ward XXVI – General), Balkrishan Manerkar (Ward XXVII – OBC), Ghanashyam Shrikant Nasnodkar (Ward XXVIII – General), and Vaibhav Salgaonkar (Ward XXX – General).