MARGAO
The Margao Civic Alliance forged by Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat and Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai stormed to power in the 25-member Margao Municipal Council with a comfortable margin as the it successfully warded off a spirited BJP challenge to stop the Lotus from blooming in the civic body.
Both Kamat and Sardesai maintained their stranglehold over Margao and Fatorda respectively, with the Alliance winning as many as 17 seats, Goa Forward nine and Kamat’s Model Margao eight, leaving the BJP-backed Vibrant Margao panel way behind with seven seats. A lone seat went to an Independent.
Candidates fielded by the Fatorda Congress and the Citizen’s Choice drew a blank.
The only consolation for the ruling BJP was that the party has improved upon its tally of seats, from four in 2015 to seven in 2021. While the BJP has won just two of the 11 seats at stake in Margao, the party won three seats in Fatorda area this time around after being blanked in 2015. The BJP won the two seats in the Curtorim area of the civic body, taking its final tally to seven.
This is the second consecutive time that the Margao Civic Alliance has successfully kept the BJP at bay in the Margao Municipal Council. In the 2015 election also, the MCA had stormed to power, before the Alliance collapsed two years later in 2017 after the Goa Forward joined hands with the BJP to support the Manohar Parrikar government.
With the Alliance winning the polls with a clear majority, the only question left to be decided is whether the Fatorda Forward or Model Margao will have its candidate as the new MMC Chairperson.
Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai answered this question after the results were out, saying he and the Opposition leader will discuss the matter and come out with a unanimous choice of MCA candidate to head the Council.
Commenting on the MCA victory, Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat said clear majority to the Margao Civic Alliance is a clear indication that Madgaonkars have initiated the downfall of the BJP government which put people’s lives in danger by saying “Bhivpachi Garaj Na”.
While thanking Madgaonkars and Fatordekars, Kamat said, “They have given a verdict as a signal to the most insensitive BJP government. This Government has pushed the Goans into huge financial burden and Covid trap”.
GFP Chief Vijai Sardesai said, “Our Team Goa approach has certainly paved a way forward for a united Goa. And, we are certain that this alliance will continue to strengthen and unite all the people of Goa in safeguarding the state, its culture and aspirations.”
