The State government has nominated three co-opted councillors to the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), all known to be aligned with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate.
The move comes weeks after the Monserrate-led panel secured a sweeping 27-3 victory in the 30-member civic body.
Among those nominated is Edward Jorge, who had contested the recent CCP elections on the BJP-backed panel but lost narrowly in Ward 17, which covers Altinho and Fontainhas.
Jorge was defeated by just two votes by hospitality entrepreneur Jack Sukhija, who is also a scion of popular Goan political personality Dr Jack de Sequeira, marking one of the few upsets in an otherwise dominant performance by the BJP and Monserrate-led ruling panel.
The other two co-opted councillors are Regina Almeida and former councillor Shekhar Degvekar. In its order, the government cited their “expertise in civic administration” as the basis for the nominations.
The appointments further consolidate the control over the CCP by the ruling group, leaving little space for opposition voices. While the government has defended the move as a step to strengthen civic governance, critics argue that co-option of party loyalists risks reducing the scope for independent perspectives in Panaji’s civic affairs.
