Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai with party candidate Inacinha Pinto for the Raia seat at the office of the Returning Officer. Captured by : Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
For the first time since the formation of the party close to a decade ago, the Goa Forward party has fielded a candidate for the Zilla Panchayat election in Salcete.
Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai made his presence felt at the office of the Returning Officer, Margao on Tuesday with party candidate Inacinha Pinto.
Sardesai told the media that Inacinha is not just a candidate fielded by the Goa Forward party candidate, but candidate of the Congress-Goa Forward alliance.
He took the occasion to slam the BJP and its alliance partners for resorting to family raj politics at the grassroot panchayat elections. Reminding that former BJP CM late Manohar Parrikar had returned to power in 2012 under the plank of family raj, Sardesai said the BJP is now exactly playing the same family raj to stay in power. “WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar has fielded daughter in Shiroda. Union Minister Sripad Naik has fielded son for the Corlim seat. Independent MLA Anton Vas has fielded wife for the Sancoale seat. In Raia, the seat is being held either by Independent member Dominick Gaonkar or his wife,” he said.
Promising the people of Raia ZP constituency that the Goa Forward will usher in development, Sardesai said the party has stood with the people of Loutolim opposing coal. “We will give a big boost to agriculture in Raia,” he added.
Sardesai also extended his full support to Congress candidate Danny Fernandes for the Davorlim seat as an alliance partner.
