MARGAO
Key players for the Margao civic polls seem to have gone back to the drawing boards on a day after the Supreme Court upheld the High Court verdict.
Aware that the Apex Court’s verdict will have a bearing on the fate of the candidates, heads of the three major panels, Margao Model led by Leader of Opposition, Digambar Kamat, Vijay Sardesai’s Fatorda Forward and BJP leader Damu Naik’s Vibrant Margao went into a huddle to take stock of the situation.
They are aware a couple of candidates will have to sacrifice their interests as and when the new ward reservations are finalized by the Director of Municipal Administration.
Party supremo Vijai Sardesai had an interaction with the candidates, who had filed their nomination papers for the 11 wards in Fatorda and the two wards falling in Curtorim area.
None other than Sardesai is aware of the fact that a fresh reservation will change the game. And, he seems to have briefed the candidates that the fresh ward reservations may bring about a change, which may force the party leadership to change a couple of them.
Sardesai later told The Goan that there should not be any problem with the issue of candidates post-reservations. “I understand certain wards may be reserved, especially for women and the OBC. We are all mentally prepared to face the situation,” he said.
Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat went into a huddle with his 11 candidates contesting under his Model Margao banner. At a meeting held in the city, the candidates are believed to have given a free hand to the Opposition leader to address the issue of candidates after the ward reservations.
The Margao MLA later told The Goan, “As far as the candidates are concerned, there may be some changes. We had a meeting on Friday evening wherein the candidates were explained the ramifications of the court order,” he said.
Kamat, however, said that Model Margao will unveil the candidates after the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA) places the draft ward reservation in the public domain.
Chairman of the BJP-backed Vibrant Margao Damu Naik said that a fresh exercise on ward reservation may not have huge bearing on the candidates.
Damu said, “I do not think that the panel will face
any difficulties in addressing the issue. The issue of candidates will be addressed at the right time.”
