MARGAO
In an interesting development unfolding in the Congress camp ahead of the upcoming Zilla Panchayat polls, former South Goa Zilla Panchayat Chairperson Nelly Rodrigues has expressed her interest in contesting the December 20 ZP polls from the Colva ZP seat on the Congress party banner.
How the Congress leadership will handle Nelly’s request for the party’s nomination remains to be seen, given that Congress members had proposed the candidature of Venicia Carvalho for the Colva seat. In fact, Carvalho has almost covered the villages of Majorda and Betalbatim in her interactive programme with the voters and is scheduled to enter Seraulim and Colva.
While Nelly is believed to have interacted with the party leadership before submitting her form to the South Goa district committee, local Congress leaders in private questioned how someone can stake a claim for the ticket when party workers have been working on the ground for the party.
In her letter addressed to the Congress District President, Savio D’Silva, Nelly has formally expressed her interest in contesting the upcoming ZP polls from the ZP constituency under the Congress banner.
“I had earlier been actively involved in party activities and have contributed towards strengthening the organisation at the grassroots level when I was Block President of the Benaulim Mahila Congress Committee," Nelly stated.
"I believe I can effectively represent the people of my constituency and work towards addressing their needs and concerns in alignment with the values and vision of the Congress party,” she stated.
Nelly has made a "humble request" to the party leadership to consider her candidature and grant her the opportunity to contest the forthcoming ZP elections, assuring her "full dedication, commitment and loyalty" to the party.
Congress South Goa District Congress president Savio D’Silva has confirmed that his office is in receipt of the letter from Nelly Rodrigues, expressing her interest in contesting the ZP election from Colva. “The party will take an appropriate decision in the matter as we are on the job of shortlisting candidates for the coming polls,” he said.
Nelly had represented the Colva Zilla Panchayat constituency for four terms and bowed out of the race in the 2020 election after the seat was reserved for OBC. She rose to occupy the post of South Goa ZP Chairperson and had presided over the affairs of the Goa Panchayat Mahila Shakti Abhiyan for a long time.
In the 2020 ZP polls, Nationalist Congress Party candidate Vania Baptista won the Colva ZP seat with the backing of former minister Churchill Alemao.
While the Aam Aadmi Party has fielded former Colva Sarpanch Anthony Mam Fernandes for the Colva seat, all eyes are now focused on how the Congress would navigate the claim made by party workers to field Venicia Carvalho and the interest shown by Nelly Rodrigues.
