A day after a meeting with the Chief Minister, where assurances were reportedly given to address traders’ concerns, the Mapusa Merchants Association (MMA) witnessed a dramatic leadership change marked by clear political overtones and internal divisions.
Shripad Sawant was elected as the new president of the 10-member committee after securing the backing of six members, effectively ousting incumbent president Jeetendra Falari.
The decision, however, was far from unanimous.
Four members “ Ashish Shirodkar, Mishal Falari, Ramesh Shinde and Falari himself “ abstained from the voting process, highlighting a deep split within the association.
The six-member bloc comprising Siddhesh Raut, Sawant, Anish Joshi, Vallabh Mishal, Mukund Raut and Rajesh Gawas joined forces to bring about the leadership change.
Association secretary Siddhesh Raut cited “internal issues” and the need for a change in leadership, though he refrained from elaborating further.
The abrupt removal of Falari has not gone down well with a section of the trading community.
Several traders expressed dissatisfaction, arguing that Falari’s ouster was unjustified.
“He was removed unceremoniously despite having no blemish on his record. Many feel the move was orchestrated to bring in a more compliant leadership,” said a trader, requesting anonymity.
Sources within the MMA suggest that the reshuffle may have been influenced by political alignments.
Falari is understood to have recently associated himself with the civil society group ‘Together for Mapusa’, which has been critical of the local MLA.
In contrast, the majority faction within the MMA is perceived to be aligned with the MLA, raising questions about the extent of political influence in what is essentially a traders’ body.
