VASCO
The assembly results last week have already impacted civic politics in Vasco, as new MLAs in power are keen to change those civic leaders who had been loyal to ousted candidates.
In a significant move, Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) Vice Chairperson Shraddha Mahale Shetye is set to resign on Tuesday, after 16 of the 25 MMC councillors had moved a no-confidence motion against Shetye on Monday.
When contacted, Shetye said loyalty mattered more to her than politics.
"As the assembly elections had set in and with a change in the BJP candidate, I had been persuaded by the party and many leaders to switch sides and remain with the party. But for me, loyalty to former Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida meant more to me than political gains.”
“I cannot deny or forget that I have been elected as councillor of my ward with the efforts, support and help of Almeida. If I have to step down for the betterment of Vasco, then so be it and I will resign on Tuesday. However, I will continue to support any development works or any other projects in the future if I can be of any help," said Mahale.
Earlier on Monday, 16 of the 25 MMC councillors had moved a no-confidence motion against Shetye, after claiming that she had failed to take councillors in the matters pertaining to MMC.
The no-confidence motion was moved by MMC Chairperson Damodar Kaskar, Councillors Manjusha Pilankar, Dayanand Naik, Kunali Mandrekar, Damodar Naik, Prajay Mayekar, Ramchandra Kamat, Deepak Naik, Shami Salkar, Priya Raut, Girish Borkar, Amay Chopdekar, Vinod Kinlekar, Catarina Xavier, Leo Rodrigues and Sudesh Bhosle.
It may be recalled that former Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida got 9 of 11 councillors elected under the BJP in the recent municipal elections. However, while six councillors including Shetye had supported Almeida as the Congress candidate, three BJP councillors Deepak Naik, Priya Raut and Amey Chopdekar decided to stand with the party after the candidature was shifted from Almeida to Krishna (Daji) Salkar, who eventually won from Vasco constituency.
