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Political musical chairs
- After the meeting to appoint a new Canacona Shigmotsav committee scheduled for Thursday was cancelled, Canacona Municipal Council has convened the meeting on Sunday
- While one group claims that the meet was convened by ruling councillors without taking Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar into confidence, another explanation cited that the Canacona MLA was himself instrumental in convening the meeting and later cancelling it, as he was unable to attend it on time
-Shigmo celebrations in Canacona could turn unsavory if there are any moves to ignore the Minister and local BJP leaders while making appointments to the new committee during Sunday's meet
- If rival groups stick to their position and do not arrive at a consensus, then there could be two Shigmo celebrations in Canacona
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CANACONA
Preparations for Shigmo festivities in Canacona are yet to begin, but a political parade is apparently on display with groups eager to gain the upper hand.
A meeting to appoint a new Canacona Shigmotsav committee to organise the Shigmo float parade in Canacona was initially scheduled for Thursday evening, but was, however, cancelled at the eleventh hour. Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) has now issued formal letters to convene the meeting on Sunday.
The reason for last the minute postponement of the meet is not known, but different explanations have been put forward by rival groups.
One group claims that the meeting on Thursday was convened by ruling councillors without taking Canacona MLA and Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar into confidence, thereby angering some opposition councillors and local BJP leaders.
According another explanation, the Canacona MLA was himself instrumental in convening the meeting and later cancelling it, as he was unable to attend it on time.
“Since the Canacona Shigmotsav committee is a registered body, the existing committee chairman should convene a fresh meeting to organise the upcoming Shigmotsav float parade. The chairman of Canacona Shigmotsav Samiti 2015 was Tawadkar himself,” a source close to Tawadkar told The Goan.
According to municipal sources, CMC chairperson, Prathana Naik Gaonkar, had received a government letter to organise Shigmo floats for 2016, and accordingly, to appoint a new Shigmosthav committee for this year.
While Naik Gaonkar already issued a notice convening a meeting on Shigmosthav 2016 in the municipal hall on Sunday at 10.30 am, plans by Tawadkar to convene a meeting of the Canacona Shigmotsav Samiti on Saturday have been kept on hold.
The Minister's camp is reportedly not interested in taking a conflicting stand with the ruling group, and instead, prefers to wait and watch the outcome of Sunday’s meeting that has been convened by the CMC chairperson.
“Any move to ignore the Minister and local BJP leaders while making appointments to the new committee during the Sunday meeting is likely to be objected. Else, it could very well lead to some unpleasant scenes during Shigmo celebrations in Canacona,” informed a source.
The CMC ruling group's stand assumes importance as the Shigmo floats are organised within municipal jurisdiction and the ruling group has in the recent past been on a warpath with the MLA and councillors supporting the BJP.
There are concerns that if rival groups stick to their position and do not compromise in the appointment of a new Shigmotsav committee, then there could be two Shigmo celebrations in Canacona.
When contacted, the CMC chairperson confirmed that the meeting, initially scheduled for Thursday, had been postponed to Sunday.
“I have asked the chief officer to officially convene a meeting on Sunday to constitute the new Shigmotsav committee to celebrate Shigmotsav 2016,” she said, but did not explain the reason for postponing the meet.
