the goan I network
MARGAO
The news of a visit by deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai to the Margao Municipal Council would generally charge up the city fathers, more so the councilors aligned to the Goa Forward party, controlling the Civic body. However, Thursday turned out to be completely different.
Against the backdrop of the political developments unfolding in the State, with the 10 Congress MLAs embracing the ruling BJP and speculations rife that the Goa Forward ministers will be dropped, the mood appeared somber and gloomy in the corridors of the civic body on Thursday morning.
Sardesai himself was spotted in a pensive mood. He stepped out of his official car speaking to an unknown person over the cell phone. As he entered the Municipal building to inaugurate the Braille library in the MMC library, his group of councilors appeared crest fallen, not knowing what lies in store for the party supremo and the Goa Forward party in the political scheme of things.
Be it Margao Municipal Chaiperson Babita Prabhudesai, her deputy Tito Cardozo or councilors Pooja Naik, Lyndon Pereira and others, they all appeared gloomy as they all stared at the deputy Chief Minister, who took time off to brief the media on the political developments.
Despondency was written on their faces, as if they had resigned to the fate that Goa Forward may no longer find favour with the senior coalition partner. That Sardesai made it known to the media that he and his Goa Forward is not in control of the emerging political situation and was in fact waiting for the senior coalition partner to communicate its fate, has sent confusing signals not only to the city fathers aligned to the regional party but the party’s rank and file. In fact, a city father sought to know from a scribe whether it’s all over for Goa Forward in the coalition government, indicating that members of the regional party are indeed keeping their fingers crossed.
The Goa Forward has been ruling the Margao Municipal Council since the time elections for the civic body was held in 2015. While the Goa Forward had around 13 councilors in the 25-member Margao Municipal Council, the party had received support from the councilors backed by the BJP after the two parties had in 2017 come together to form the coalition government under the leadership of former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
