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SURENDRA AND RUTH IN
BABUSH'S SECOND LIST
* The names of Surendra and Ruth Furtado as well as former councillor Avinash Bhosle make it to the second list of 'Babush' Monserratte
* With this, Babush is left with only one name for ward No 23, which he said would declare on Wednesday
* Babush’s second list includes Ruth Furtado (Ward No 9), Surendra Furtado (10), Manoj Patil(12), Sandeep Naik (15), Avinash Bhosle (22), Sagar Chari (24) and Devendra Kundkaikar(27)
* On Monday Babush had said that he was unsure of the stand of the Furtados and that he would like the corporators on board
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PANAJI: The Congress finally boarded the Panaji municipal corporation poll bus on Tuesday when it appointed Cumbharjua MLA Madkaikar to drive the party's campaign.
The Congress will back a secular panel, which will contest in all 30 wards under Madkaikar’s guidance.
Cumbharjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar is set to chair the core monitoring committee comprising five to six Congressmen which will guide and monitor this panel from party level.
Speaking to The Goan, Madkaikar stated, “Congress-supported panel will contest all 30 seats of CCP. Names of the candidates, however, will be disclosed only on February 9, first day of nominations for CCP elections.”
He said that stress will be laid on developmental agenda while offering good and reliable candidates.
Madkaikar further stated, “Panaji block Congress is being taken into confidence and we are consulting them at every stage. In fact, many members from Panaji block have shown interest in contesting the polls.”
Addressing the media after the meeting at Congress House on Tuesday, GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro spoke about the ills plaguing Panaji and said, “Panaji has been marching backwards since last 10 years. It needs good corporators and a good Corporation which will protect its interests.”
He insisted that the party will continue to respect the spirit of 73rd and 74thamendments to Constitution of India and Congress will not contest civic polls on party lines.
Much to the relief of Goa’s public, Congress has gradually left behind its strategy of staying away from municipal polls, extending moral support to candidates and shadow boxing through its sitting MLAs. But the latest adjustment in Congress’ stand on municipal elections appears to be resting more on beating Antanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate than not with Madkaikar being the driving force behind the decision.
Sources from within the party informed that, at the meeting, Madkaikar moved a proposal requesting GPCC executive to take a step against Babush in right time while stating that active participation in CCP polls has become the need of the hour with people of Goa observing every move of the party very closely.
This proposal received enormous support among younger members of the executive, who appeared to be wanting to ‘teach Babush a lesson’ for his anti-party activities during Panaji by-polls held in 2015.
Meanwhile, numerous persons from within the executive raised eyebrow over the presence of Rudresh Chodankar and former CCP Mayor Tony Fernandes at the executive committee meeting as both are not members of the party. “Executive meetings are most confidential of party meetings and although they might join formally over the coming days, presence of non-members for such meetings is not correct,” it was stated.
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GOA SEC NOTIFIES
POLL TIME-TABLE
PANAJI: The Goa State Election Commission has issued a public notice notifying the schedule for the elections to the Corporation of the City of Panaji, which will be held on March 06 as well as the code of conduct which will come into effect from February 08.
“In pursuance of article 243 ZA of the Constitution of India and Sub-Rule (1) of Rule 4 of the Corporation of the City of Panaji, I Dr. M Modassir, Goa State Election Commissioner do hereby declare that the General Elections for the above City Corporation shall be held on 6th March 2016,” Dr Modassir said in the notification issued on Tuesday.
“The code of conduct for General Elections to the above City Corporation of Panaji shall come into force wef 8th February midnight till 8th March midnight. The code of conduct shall be applicable to all the areas under the jurisdiction of the City Corporation of Panaji,” the notification reads.
In another notification, the State Election Commissioner has notified the Deputy Collector and SDM of Tiswadi Taluka to be the Returning Officer for the polls. The Deputy Collector will receive nominations beginning February 9 from 11 am to 2 pm right up to February 16, except on Sunday February 14.
The nominations will be scrutinised on February 17 and Thursday February 18 from 11 am onwards and the public list of the validly nominated candidates will be on February 19.
The last date for withdrawal of nominations is February 20 from 10 am to 3pm with the final list of the contesting candidates being published on February 20.
Polling will be held from March 6 from 8 am to 5 pm and counting will be held on March 8 from 8 am onwards at the Government College of Pharmacy, Panaji.
Polling will be held through electronic voting machines, the State Election Commission has said. Political parties and fronts have already begun gearing up in the city for the CCP polls with Taleigao strongman Atanasio Monserrate already having named a list of 21 candidates who will form his panel in the State. The Congress too has been playing catch up with the local body deciding to field a secular panel of its own.
