MARGAO
The fate of the dozen-odd sitting sarpanchas, besides deputy sarpanchas, sitting panchas from Salcete hangs in balance as the 33 village panchayats from the taluka are scheduled to go for election on Sunday.
Questions are being raised in Salcete countryside whether the incumbent sarpanchas and panchas will retain their hold over the electorate or go down in the face of stiff challenge from political new corners.
Some of the sarpanchas who will have to maintain their fort from crumbling includes Remy Fernandes (Benaulim) , Menino Fernandes (Colva), Melvyn Sanches (Assolna), Pedrina Cardozo (Assolna), Santos Rebello (Chinchinim), Joseph Vaz (Rachol), Sandra Fernandes (Carmona), Bernardo Rebello (Dramapur-Sirlim), etc.
Village Panchayats such as Benaulim and Colva, besides Cavelossim, Chinchinim, Rumdamol housing board, Varca, Davorlim, just to name a few have witnessed no-holds-barred contest amongst the contenders. Benaulim Panchayat, in particular, where sitting sarpanch Remy Fernandes, besides the husband-wife duo of Xavier and Delia Pereira and David and Vencilla Fernandes, are in the fray have received attention in the scheme of things.
Incidentally, election will take place for only four wards of the 7-member Betalbatim village Panchayat following the reservation fiasco in the remaining three wards, which was reserved for the OBC by the government, later de-reserved by the High Court before the High Court order was stayed by the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, hundreds of polling officials fanned out to the polling booths across Salcete on Saturday ahead of polling. The police deployment was also complete by Saturday evening, with DySP Dinraj Govekar saying that a platoon of IRB has been stationed at the district headquarters to meet any law and order situation.
