the goan I network
MARGAO
Ending days of speculations, consultations and behind-the-scene maneuvering, the Congress party on Monday has finally unveiled the names of candidates for seven out of the nine Zilla Panchayat seats in its traditional stronghold Salcete.
A consensus, however, still eludes the main opposition party in the remaining two seats of Davorlim in Luizinho Faleiro’s Navelim constituency and Guirdolim, the seat presently represented by Congress-turned-BJP MLA Clafacio Dias.
A glance at the list of Congress candidates released by party chief Girish Chodankar revealed that the party has finally zeroed in on veteran Congressman and former Rachol sarpanch Joseph Vaz to take on Independent candidate and former two-time ZP member Domnic Gaonkar for the Raia seat. The Raia seat has been represented twice by Domnic. His wife Fatima is the sitting ZP member.
The Congress would certainly expect Joseph Vaz to lead the party campaign to ensure the Congress flag flies in Raia again after a decade and half.
After some initial hiccups, the Congress leadership has finally settled in favour of sitting ZP member Moreno Rebello’s wife Michelle for the Curtorim seat. The consensus was arrived at on Sunday after a series of consultations by South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha, who had discussions with Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat and also called up local MLA Reginaldo Lourenco to strike a consensus choice.
The Party had not much of a problem in finalising the candidates for the two seats of Benaulim and Colva ZP seat in Benaulim Assembly constituency represented by NCP MLA Churchill Alemao. The party has accepted the recommendation made by Benaulim block Congress in-charge, Dixon Vaz to nominate former Benaulim sarpanch Royla Fernandes for Benaulim and former Colva sarpanch Suzie Fernandes for the Colva ZP seat.
In Navelim, NCP MLA Churchill Alemao’s close aide, Navelim panch member, Jose Santa Rita Coelho (Babush) is the Congress candidate. Coelho’s candidature was recommended by the Navelim block Congress Committee and was apparently ratified by MLA Luizinho Faleiro.
The candidature of Julio Fernandes for the Velim seat has finally found favour with the Congress leadership comprising of GPCC chief Girish Chodankar and Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat.
Julio’s candidature, sources said, was proposed to the Congress leadership by a group of persons led by Velim Sarpanch Savio D’Silva after the Congress was found struggling in zeroing in on a prospective candidate for the Velim seat. Sources in the Congress party did not rule out the possibility of a number of people joining the Congress party in the next few days in Velim.
The Congress party, sources said, also had no major problem in zeroing on the candidature of Assuciana Roman Sobrinho e Rodrigues for the Nuvem seat. Some of the candidates shortlisted by the party were seen in the district Congress office filling up their nomination papers before presenting the forms to the Returning Officer in a day or two. Consultation underway in finalising candidates for Davorlim, Guirdolim
MARGAO: Consultations are underway in the Congress camp on the question of finalising the party candidates for the ZP seats of Davorlim and Guirdolim.
As far as the Guirdolim seat is concerned, the South Goa District Committee had recommended the name of former Guirdolim sarpanch Sonia Fernandes, who was considered a close supporter of former Cuncolim MLA Joaquim Alemao.
On the other hand, former Balli sarpanch Rohidas Naik’s wife Rasika, who had applied for the ticket, had won the support of South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha on grounds that the husband-wife duo had helped the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Sources said the Congress leadership is trying to figure out whether Sonia had worked for the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and whether she was associated with the Goa Forward party.
On the other hand, the Congress party had received around five applications for the party ticket for the Davorlim seat. While the district committee had recommended the names of Paulo Colaco and Rajini Raikar for the ticket, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha had okayed the candidature of Murtuza K for the ticket. The party leadership is expected to take a final call on the Davorlim seat after consulting Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro.
