MARGAO
Moments after Congress-turned-BJP Margao MLA Digambar Kamat returned to the BJP fold after 17 years, questions did the rounds in the corridors of the Margao Municipal building and outside over its fallout on the election of the new Margao Municipal Chief on September 16.
Till late Tuesday night, Kamat along with his Model Margao candidate for the post of Chairperson Damu Shirodkar was huddled with Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai and his group of councillors on how to go about the ensuing election and to keep the BJP at bay.
During the meeting, Goa Forward councillor Ravindra Naik was believed to have asked Kamat to react to reports on the imminent exit from the Congress to join the BJP, but the Margao MLA dismissed the reports as mere rumours, saying he has been hearing these reports for the last 17 years.
After Wednesday's development, when Kamat embraced the saffron brigade, the strength of the BJP overnight increased to 16 members in the 25-member civic body, BJP’s nine councillors and Kamat’s Model Margao’s seven members. The Goa Forward has eight councillors in the civic body, besides the lone Independent candidate Ganashyam Shirodkar.
Ganashyam has already filed his nomination papers for the vacant post of MMC Chairperson proposed by three BJP-backed Councilors. On the other hand, Kamat has been pushing for the candidature of Damu Shirodkar, with sources now saying whether the BJP will now back Damu Shirodkar for the post.
In the meantime, BJP-backed senior Margao Municipal councillor Sadanand Naik filed his papers for the vacant post on Wednesday. Sources said the move did not go down well with party leaders, and it remains to be seen whether the party will get Sadanand to withdraw his candidature.
Incidentally, Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai on Wednesday said the party had an alliance with the Margao MLA to keep the BJP at bay. “Now with Kamat in the BJP, I do not know how things will unfold in the civic body. Kamat had a meeting with me and my councillors late Tuesday night, but he is now in the BJP,” Sardesai.
In the unfolding political developments, the ensuing polls for the post of Margao Municipal Chairperson have turned into a BJP versus BJP battle since the BJP councillors have proposed Ganashyam Shirodkar’s candidature. In this situation, Sardesai said he has asked his group to vote in the election for the Chairperson’s post as per their conscience.
