PONDA
The Congress and the BJP may be at loggerheads with each other in the State and at the Centre, but there is no such political rivalry between the two in Ponda as a group of nine councillors, mostly owing affiliation to both the parties have decided to fight the Ponda Municipal Council elections under a common banner.
PMC Chairperson Dr Radhika Nayak, councillors Irvin Soares, Venkatesh Naik, Lalan Naik, Sitaram Dangui, and BJP supported councillors Shantaram Kolvekar (Vice Chairperson), Vishwanath Dalvi, Sunil Desai and Shanti Naik have formed the group of nine to fight the PMC elections on April 29.
Four sitting PMC councillors -- Sunil Desai, Shantaram Kolvekar, Vishwanath Dalvi and Shanti Naik -- are presently supported by BJP, while three others are closely associated with the Congress. While one candidate is leaning towards the Congress, the other candidate is an independent.
Political pandits from Ponda have speculated that this rare BJP-Congress tie up could give a jolt to the MGP-backed candidates, who have decided to go alone in these elections.
Sunil Desai, who fought the last assembly elections from Ponda on the BJP ticket, along with Dr Nayak and other seven councillors have declared their plans to fight the PMC elections.
“In the last five-year term, there were attempts to unseat me, but my councillors always supported me and today, we are stronger to fight the elections,” said Dr Nayak.
“We will fight the PMC elections under the banner of ‘Ponda Citizens Committee’ and will declare the names of other six candidates after reservation takes place,” she added. The PMC has 15 wards this time, an increase by one ward from the last term.
During the last three years, there have been several spats and verbal clashes between MGP leaders and Dr Nayak.
Whether it was the renovation of Kranti Maidan undertaken by PWD, sewerage or traffic management plan, PWD Minister Sudin
Dhavalikar has always blamed
the PMC under the leadership of Dr Nayak for not
supporting him.
Recently, Dr Nayak had found no place in the government’s Ponda Shigmotsav committee, after being accused of failing to attend events of state and national importance.
Incidentally, during the last PMC elections, the MGP had supported candidates under the banner of ‘Ponda Citizens Committee’, which was a common platform for the BJP and MGP. “Initially for two years, everything was going fine. But later, some forces tried to create a rift between us. I feel that such politicians should not indulge in petty politics when development is concerned,” Dr Nayak said.
Sunil Desai said they are optimistic of wining all 15 seats. “We are sure to win all these seats,” said Desai.
Irvin Soares said they want to transform Ponda town with greenery and beautification. “We nine councillors are together. No corruption charge has been levelled against this council and this is a very strong group,” Soares said.
