MAPUSA
It looks like it’s all over for the Mapusa Municipal Council Chairperson Shubhangi Vaigankar.
The Mapusa Municipal Council may soon see a change in guard as Vaigankar has been told in no uncertain terms to put in her papers and make way for a new person to take over the affairs of the civic body.
A meeting of councillors belonging to the BJP and those supporting the ruling dispensation in the council was called by Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza on Saturday to discuss civic-related issues but the focus was on change in guard in the council.
Sources informed that in the course of the discussion, the Mapusa MLA requested the chairperson to resign from the post so that another candidate could take over.
However, Vaigankar was steadfast in her stand and said she would step down only if Chief Minister Pramod Sawant asked her to do so.
Sources close to the local MLA informed that the chairperson’s days are numbered and her stubbornness not to step down will not work anymore.
“Within next couple of days, the entire picture will be clear,” the source told The Goan.
The group against the chairperson have plans to table a no-confidence motion if she maintains her resoluteness and refuses to quit.
In the game of numbers, the chairperson is on a sticky wicket and is expected to fare badly.
“It won’t come to that. There is no need to bring a no-trust motion. The party will compel her to step down,” said a BJP leader, on condition of anonymity.
The issue of the strike call given by the municipality staff also came up for discussion at the meeting but there was no headway made in the matter.
When contacted, MMC Chairperson Shubanghi Vaigankar maintained that there was no discussion on whether she should continue or not in the chair.
“No one has asked me to step down,” Vaigankar reiterated, although she admitted that a meeting with the MLA was held along with the councillors.
A total of 14 councillors, including the Tarak brothers and Prakash Bhivshet, were present for the meeting.
Councillor Kishori Korgaonkar of the BJP and Kayle Braganza who was formerly with the BJP were not present for the meeting.
In the 20-member council, the opposition-backed councillors are Anand Bhaidkar, Shashank Narvekar, Kamal D’Souza and Sudhir Kandolkar.
