MARGAO
With just two days to go for the no-trust motion against Margao Municipal Council Chairperson Ganashyam Shirodkar, Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai on Wednesday said the party-backed chairperson is ready to quit office before the vote of confidence.
That the party-backed candidate is sought to be dislodged from office within a week of his election, Sardesai, however, cautioned that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the neo-BJP MLAs will be solely responsible if musical chair games become a regular feature in the MMC in future.
Ganashyam too dropped enough hints that he would take a call on resigning from the post on Thursday.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the inspection of the Dambab Circle near the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao on Wednesday, Sardesai further cautioned the government against murdering democracy, saying the people will knock on the doors of the Judiciary if any attempt is made to do away with elections via secret ballot.
“Personally speaking, I feel the Chairperson should leave the chair since pressure is mounted on the councillors by making them take oath on Lord Dambab. I do not want any of the councillors to feel suffocated and carry guilt in their life by having taken an oath of Lord Dambab. For us, faith is more important than politics. Hence, it is my personal opinion that the Chairperson will resign before the vote of confidence,” he said, adding that it is now up to Ganashyam to take a final call.
Sardesai pointed out that he had played his role in the civic body in the election of the chairperson last week after the CM and the new BJP MLAs tried to bulldoze their way into the municipality.
Saying the Goa Forward had allied with the Margao Civic Alliance to bring about stability in the civic body, Sardesai said the recent developments have shown the municipality is heading to musical chair games.
Sources in the know pointed out that the Goa Forward chief had tried to woo three councillors to bail out the beleaguered Chairperson. However, though the three councillors had cross-voted in favour of Ganashyam on September 16, they seemed hesitant to publicly associate themselves with the chairperson during the vote of confidence.
BJP starts exercise to zero in on candidate for chairperson
MARGAO:
In anticipation of the ouster of Goa Forward-backed Margao Municipal Chairperson Ganashyam Shirodkar in the vote of confidence on Friday, the BJP leadership has started the exercise to zero in on the candidate for the Civic Chief.
Once beaten, twice shy, so goes the saying and the leadership seemed to tread a cautious path, lest the party-backed councillors stage another revolt in the election of the new Municipal Chairperson.
With five party-backed councillors crossing voting to elect Ganashyam, BJP leaders, including Digambar Kamat and Fatorda party leader Damu Naik have taken upon themselves the responsibility to work out a consensus candidate for the post.
Sources said both Digambar and Damu were expected to have a meeting with party senior councillor Sadanand Naik since he has staked his claim for the post.
Sadanand had filed his nomination papers for the September 16 polls for the chairperson’s election but withdrew the same on the instructions of the party leaders.
BJP-backed Camilo Barretto is another councillor who has staked his claim.
