MARGAO
The Congress has settled for former Nuvem Sarpanch Reuben Costa as the party candidate for the Nuvem Zilla Panchayat by-poll and Moreno Rebello as candidate for the Curtorim seat.
While the selection of candidate for the Nuvem has been a smooth affair, with local Congress MLA Wilfred D'Sa rooting for former Nuvem Sarpanch Reuben D'Costa, two candidates Moreno Rebello and Diniz Sardinha had reportedly staked their claim for the Curtorim seat, before MLA Reginaldo announced on Sunday that the candidate of Moreno has been finalized for Curtorim.
Sources in the know said that Congress MLAs from Curtorim Reginaldo Lourenco, Clafacio Dias (Cuncolim) and Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues had met a few days ago to shortlist party candidate for the Curtorim bye-poll. Both Reginaldo and Clafacio met against on Saturday to discuss the names of Moreno and Diniz.
Sources in Curtorim said that MLA Reginaldo has told Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias to convey to Diniz Sardinha about the decision on the Curtorim candidate.
As far as the Nuvem bypoll is concerned, Congress Nuvem MLA Wilfred D'Sa told The Goan that the party has zeroed in on former Nuvem Sarpanch Reuben Costa to contest the Nuvem ZP bye-poll with Congress backing. "There was no one staking claim for the Congress ticket to contest the Nuvem bypoll. Hence, we have decided to find Reuben as the Congress candidate for the bye-poll", Wilfred said.
Besides being a former Nuvem Sarpanch, Reuben is the Principal of the Gaunkar Higher Secondary school.
The regional United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP), which has disclosed plans to contest the two ZP by-polls, is expected to announce party candidates on Monday. While Mickky Pacheco is believed to have zeroed in on a former panch member from Verna for the Nuvem seat, the former minister is waiting for the Congress to declare party candidate for the Curtorim seat before taking the final decision.
