MARGAO
They may have been down after their rout in the February 4 assembly elections, but candidates from Salcete’s countryside who had to bite the dust in the February 4 assembly election certainly don’t seem to be out of contention. If the newly-elected MLAs from Salcete are bracing to face the ensuing June 11 panchayat election, the defeated candidates, many of them heavyweights in their own right, are apparently not lagging behind. In fact, heavyweight opposition politicos are all gearing up to lock horns against the ruling legislators in their respective constituencies.
Former ministers from Salcete “ Avertano Furtado, Mickky Pacheco and Joaquim Alemao “ made no bones of their intention to field candidates for the village panchayat bodies falling in Navelim, Nuvem and Cuncolim assembly constituencies respectively. And, not to mention Aam Aadmi party Benaulim candidate, Royla Fernandes, who came a close second in Benaulim constituency in the 2017 Assembly election.
Says Avertano, whose close aides had literally controlled the panchayat bodies in Navelim till the elections for the Goa Legislative Assembly: “After a meeting with our supporters and workers, it has been decided to field panel of candidates for all the wards in the panchayats of Navelim, Telaulim, Aquem-Baixo, Davorlim and Rumdamol”.
Avertano pointed out that his supporters have insisted that they float a panel of candidates for the forthcoming panchayat polls.
“I do not know how the ruling Congress camp is preparing for the coming election. But, one thing is certain, we will certainly field our panel of candidates in all the wards,” he added. The former fisheries minister had a smooth sailing in the 2012 panchayat election, as his supporters and well-wishers had all romped home to victory in the five panchayat bodies in Navelim. In fact, Avertano continues to maintain his stranglehold over the all-important Navelim village panchayat body till date.
Flamboyant Mickky Pacheco is another heavyweight former minister and MLA, who minces no words when it comes to the coming panchayat election. “Most of the panchayats were controlled by Mickky during the last five years, and I am confident that people of Majorda, Betalbatim, Nuvem, Loutolim, Verna and Nagoa will once again repose their trust and faith in me and elect my men in these panchayat bodies,” Mickky asserted.
In fact, he said the people of Nuvem constituency have begun to feel the difference in Nuvem during the last two months, adding that he would field his own panel of candidates for all the panchayat bodies in Nuvem constituencies.
Former urban development minister, Joaquim Alemao may have been written off by his opponents in Cuncolim after suffering his second successive defeat in the 2017 election. His supporters and workers, however, are bracing to contest the coming panchayat election with the support and blessing of the former two-time Cuncolim MLA.
“I may not field a panel of candidates for the panchayat elections. But, our supporters, workers and well-wishers will definitely contest the elections for the panchayat bodies of Macazana, Guirdolim, Chandor, Paroda, Ambaulim and the two wards of Balli panchayat. I cannot leave my supporters in the lurch. They have all stood by me in the assembly election before I lost the poll by a whisker,” Joaquim said, who had lost the Assembly election by a mere 33 votes against Congress MLA Clafacio Dias.
Aam Aadmi party Benaulim candidate, Royla Fernandes, who polled 4,000-plus vote in the 2017 Assembly election, has been on record saying that AAP will back candidates for the panchayat bodies in Benaulim going to the election on June 11.
That AAP is gearing up for the ensuing panchayat election assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao going all out to field his panel of candidates for the panchayat bodies of Cavelossim, Carmona, Orlim, Varca, Benaulim, Colva and Seraulim in the coming election.
Incidentally, ex-Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva has virtually ruled out the possibility of fielding any panel in the coming panchayat election. Outgoing Velim MLA Benjamin D’Silva has so far not made his stand clear on the coming election,
though his supporters have exuded confidence that the ex-MLA will back them in the election.
