MARGAO
Candidates in the fray for the Margao Municipal Council seem to have varied backgrounds, ranging from businessmen and contractors to real estate developers, housewives and only a handful of professionals, including a couple of women professionals such as doctors and lawyers.
That’s not all. A journalist, a pharmacist, a nurse, a footballer and a referee, transport contractor, a bar owner and gadda owner, and not to mention a couple of former city fathers, who are all vying for honours in the April 23 election.
The four women professionals in the fray, include Dr Ronita Ajgaonkar, Dr Sushanta Kurtarkar (both Vibrant Margao panel), Adv Seoula Vas (Shadow Council for Margao) and Adv Ashma BI (Fatorda Forward).
There’s no dearth of the kith and kin of politicians in the fray, but former councillors, Sadanand and Babita Naik are the only husband-wife duo contesting the polls in ward 6 and 25 respectively.
A couple of former chairpersons, including outgoing chief Pooja Naik, Arthur D’Silva, Gonzaco Rebello, Ganashyam Shirodkar and Doris Texeira, are all seeking re-election in different wards in the ensuing polls.
And, so too are former councillors, Raju Naik, Angelis Pereira, Manoj Masurkar, Johnny Crasto, Lyndon Pereira, Damu Naik, Damodar Shirodkar who are trying to make a comeback in the Margao Municipal Council.
The BJP takes pride in saying the party-backed Vibrant Margao has given to the people of Margao and Fatorda good candidates, including two lady doctors, physiotherapist Dr Ronita Ajgaonkar and Dr Sushanti Kurtarkar, a fine art professional and senior BJP leader Sharmad Raiturkar. The party also claimed that it has fielded city businessman and educationist Sunil Naik, who is contesting from ward 22.
A couple of contractors have thrown their hats in the electoral ring. They include flamboyant former MMC Chairperson Arthur D’Silva, Damu Shirodkar, Custodio Dias et al. Wholesale fish market sopo contractor Milagres Fernandes is contesting the MMC polls from ward one.
City-based pharmacist, Mackenzie D’Costa, is contesting from ward one, while journalist Pratik Parab is in the fray in ward 24, which falls in the Housing Board area of the city. Financial consultant and writer, Yogesh Nagvenkar, is contesting from ward 6 on the Fatorda Congress panel.
Bus owner Sheikh Anwar is contesting the polls from the Pajifond ward under the Fatorda Block Congress banner.
Of the 98 candidates in the fray, majority of the candidates are new faces, with the two major panels, besides the Shadow Council for Margao and the Fatorda Block Congress fielding a host of new faces for the electoral battle.
Sources in the know informed that one should not be surprised to find businessmen and contractors and only a few professionals in the fray for the ensuing election. In the previous election too, one could find only a handful of professionals with the lot comprising businessmen and contractors.
“Whether by default or otherwise, it’s heartening to note that a couple of young doctors have thrown their hat in the election ring,” remarked an observer.
