PANAJI
True to their principle, the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) backed panchas have decided to stay in the opposition and have not sided with the ruling panels in Tiswadi, the only exception being the Azossim-Mandur where the RGP has got hold of the panchayat..
But, in other panchayats like Batim, Agassaim, Curca, Siridao, Chimbel and Cumbarjua, where the candidates of RGP have won, they have chosen to remain in the opposition.
In Batim, the three RGP panchas saw to it that there was election to the post of sarpanch and deputy sarpanch post, with their candidates losing by a narrow 4-3 margin.
In Agassaim too, the four panchas backed by RGP fielded its candidates for the post of sarpanch and deputy sarpanch though they lost by 7-4 votes each.
In Cumbarjua where a lone RGP candidate won, he refused to align with anybody over the interference of politicians.
The candidate, Anuj Naik, informed The Goan that he would prefer to sit in the opposition than align with any panel which has political affiliations.
In Chimbel, though, there was a controversy created when the newly elected sarpanch Sandesh Shirokar informed that all eleven panchas are part of the ruling panel, including RGP-backed panch.
The controversy was blown further when Shirodkar along with nine panchas went to meet the State BJP president Shet Tanavade and CM Pramod Sawant.
However, St Cruz's RGP leader Ajay Kholkar immediately clarified that the ruling panel in Chimbel does not enjoy the support of RGP's panch and she will remain in the opposition.
“When the ruling panel met Tanavade and Sawant, our candidate Krupa Kankonkar did not accompany them and she will function as the lone opposition in Chimbel,” Kholkar added.
Meanwhile, St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar informed that he had opportunities to form panels in some panchayats in his constituency with the help of independent candidates.
“But there were demands made due to which it was decided not to align with anybody and risk spoiling the name of the Revolutionary Goans,” Borkar said and added that RGP panchas, who are in the opposition, will function as watchdogs in the panchayats.
