MARGAO
In what is seen as a setback to the BJP in its bid to dislodge the Congress-controlled Cuncolim Municipal Council and pave way for the Lotus to bloom in the civic body, one of the seven signatories to the no-trust motion, councillor Raymond D’Souza has withdrawn his consent to move the motion against Chairperson Laxman Naik.
Councillor Raymond D’Souza, who was elected on the Congress-backed panel in the 2021 municipal polls had signed the no-trust motion along with the five BJP councillors and the lone Goa Forward councillor Uddesh Desai. Uddesh has since been expelled from the primary membership of the Goa Forward.
The Congress party and Leader of Opposition, Yuri Alemao, sources said, launched a counter move in the last two days, to wean back Raymond into the party fold and ensure that the Congress flag flies high in his fiefdom.
In his letter entered in the office of the Director of Municipal Administration on Tuesday, councillor Raymond D’Souza has withdrawn his consent for moving the no-confidence motion against the chairperson. In the letter, Raymond has stated that he withdraws his signature on the letter submitted by the seven councillors of the Cuncolim Municipal Council, indicating the no-trust motion against the chairperson has now fizzled out.
Raymond stated that the DMA should not consider him as a signatory to the letter submitted on October 19.
Sources in the know informed that though the Director of Municipal Administration may not have taken cognisance of the notice of no-trust motion since it was not signed by majority of the councillors, as required as per the July 2022 Amendment, the Congress and the opposition did not take any chances in view of the recent developments.
“We decided to wean back Raymond to our side since we did not take any chances given the recent developments. But, with Raymond withdrawing his consent to move the no-trust motion, we now expect the DMA not to convene the special meeting to decide the motion,” remarked a senior Congress leader.
In the 14-member Cuncolim Municipal Council, the strength of the Congress-backed group had come down to seven after Raymond had signed the no-trust motion. The Congress-backed panel fielded by Yuri had emerged victorious in the Municipal election when the panel had won nine seats, and the BJP reduced to five. However, Congress-backed councillor Uddesh Desai had quit the panel following differences with Chairperson Laxman Naik, before embracing the Goa Forward party.
