MARGAO
The Congress is yet to take a call on how to go about the by-poll for the Benaulim Zilla Panchayat seat scheduled on June 23, whether to leave the seat to Alliance partner, Aam Aadmi Party or to contest the by-poll, even though GPCC chief Amit Patkar was scheduled to discuss the matter with Benaulim party block leaders on Saturday.
In the meantime, a section of senior party leaders is believed to have insisted that the party should not rush with any decision at least till June 4 when results of the Lok Sabha election will be finally out.
Sources informed that Amit Patkar was scheduled to discuss the matter with Benaulim block leaders after a training session for party counting agents on Saturday. Thereafter, members of the Benaulim block were scheduled to meet on Saturday to discuss the matter.
Sources pointed out that Benaulim Congress leader Royla Fernandes, who had finished as runners up in the 2021 ZP poll, is reported to have conveyed her views to the party leadership that the Congress should field a candidate for the Benaulim by-poll to keep the Congress flag flying in the constituency.
Royla is the petitioner before the Administrative Tribunal, who had filed disqualification petition against Aam Aadmi Party Benaulim ZP member Hanzel Fernandes on the ground that that the Christian carpenter does not form part of the OBC. The Administrative Tribunal later set aside Hanzel’s election for the Benaulim ZP seat after the High Court had held that the Christian carpenter does not form part of the OBC list.
Meanwhile, a section of the Congress leadership said the party leaders should not rush or act in haste by leaving the Benaulim ZP seat to AAP. “At least, the party should wait for the results of the Lok Sabha election on June 4 to take a final decision. We have to take a decision on Benaulim taking into account the overall interests of the Congress and not of the interest of a couple of leaders,” remarked a senior leader.
AAP mulls fielding candidate for ZP by-poll
MARGAO: Even as the Congress seemed indecisive over its decision on the Benaulim Zilla Panchayat by-poll, the Aam Aadmi Party seemed going ahead with its plan to field a candidate for the June 23 by-poll.
Benaulim AAP MLA Venzy Viegas on Sunday inducted a couple of citizens from Orlim into the party in the presence of Orlim panch member Joseph Pimenta, who had joined the party sometime back.
While welcoming the new members, Venzy said the party is gearing up for the Benaulim ZP by-poll, calling upon the members to gear up for the coming by-poll.
