Congress ZP member Luiza Rodrigues filing her nomination papers for the post of South Goa ZP chairperson.
MARGAO
Even as the BJP’s “triple government” mantra is set to become a reality on Tuesday — with the saffron party poised to win both the North and South Goa Zilla Panchayat seats — the Congress organisation appears determined not to give the ruling party a walkover.
This became evident when South Goa District Congress president Savio D’Silva, along with Zilla Panchayat members from Benaulim, Velim and Raia, arrived at the South Goa Zilla Panchayat office to file nomination papers.
Unlike in the recent past, when the party leadership had refrained from contesting the elections for the posts of South Goa ZP chairperson and vice-chairperson, giving the BJP unopposed victories, the Congress organisational leadership this time seemed unwilling to hand the BJP an easy victory. This stance was taken despite the party being aware that it does not have the numbers to mount a serious challenge to the ruling dispensation.
Congress Benaulim ZP member Luiza Rodrigues filed her nomination for the post of Zilla Panchayat chairperson, while Goa Forward Party’s Raia ZP member Inacinha Pinto filed her nomination for the vice-chairperson’s post.
After filing the nomination papers, D’Silva candidly admitted that the Congress lacks the numbers to win the South Goa ZP election. However, he asserted that the party was determined not to allow the BJP an uncontested victory. “Yes, we do not have the numbers to win the election. But we do not want to give the BJP a cakewalk. We will fight the election and will not give the BJP a walkover,” he said.
The Congress decision to contest both posts assumes significance, especially against the backdrop of previous instances when the party had effectively allowed the BJP to have its nominees elected unopposed to the positions of ZP chairperson and vice-Chairperson.
In the 25-member South Goa Zilla Panchayat, the BJP and its allies enjoy a clear majority of 15 members — 11 from the BJP, two from the MGP, and two Independents.
In contrast, the Congress and its allies have a combined strength of nine members, comprising eight Congress members and one from the Goa Forward Party. The Aam Aadmi Party has one elected member in the South Goa Zilla Panchayat.
AAP's ZP move: Abstain or support Congress?
MARGAO: On the eve of the election to the posts of South Goa Zilla Panchayat chairperson and vice-chairperson, questions were being raised in political circles over the Aam Aadmi Party’s likely stand in the polls scheduled for Tuesday.
The AAP won the lone Colva seat in the recently held Zilla Panchayat elections. What has sparked speculation is whether the party’s sole ZP member, Antonio Fernandes, will extend support to the Congress nominees for the posts of chairperson and vice-chairperson, or choose to abstain from the election.
Even if the AAP ZP member were to back the Congress candidates, the ground reality would remain unchanged, as the opposition’s strength in the 25-member South Goa Zilla Panchayat would still stand at 10.
