CANACONA
Campaigning for the panchayat elections came to an end in Canacona on Monday evening, bringing to an end an intense election programme by 56 of the 59 candidates in seven panchayats across Canacona taluka since last week. Three panchas have been elected unopposed.
Canacona MLA and Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar organised corner meetings in six of the seven panchayats which fall under Canacona constituency. Khola panchayat falls under Quepem constituency.
According to sources, Tawadkar has focused his attention to panchayats like Agonda, Shrishthal, Poinguinim and Loliem-Polem, as he believes that his panels would sweep elections in Gaondongrim and Khotigao.
On the other hand, Congress leaders in Canacona constituency had initially given a call for unity against BJP-backed candidates, but succeeded in only backing a few candidates.
The Congress is, however, going strongly against certain candidates promoted by Tawadkar, such as his wife Savita in Poinguinim village. The Congress has been successful in getting Rajesh Velip elected unopposed from Shrishthal.
Interestingly, former dy speaker and ex-Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes did not campaign for the panchayat elections, but has a panel of candidates in all 6 panchayats of Canacona constituency.
Interestingly, Fernandes got his old friend and former sarpanch Dhillon Dessai elected unopposed in Gaondongrim panchayat and reportedly played a key role electing another panch elected unopposed in Poinguinim.
Fernandes has significant clout among a number of candidates in Loliem-Polem, Poinguinim, Khotigao, Gaondongrim and Agonda, but has a panel of less than six candidates in Shrishthal Panchayat.
