the goan I network
MARGAO
Speculations were rife in the corridors of the Margao Municipal Council on Tuesday whether a section of the City Fathers are bracing up to table a no confidence motion against Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai.
Councillors, owing allegiance to the Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai and Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat, however, asserted though they are not part of the move to unseat the Chairperson, they have left it for the two MLAs to take a call on the leadership issue considering the ground reality and sentiments of majority of the councillors, seeking change in the civic body.
Reports did the rounds in the corridors of the civic body on Tuesday evening, moments after the special Council meeting that a no confidence is hanging on the head of the Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai. Babita did not chair today’s special meeting on health grounds and was not available for comment.
Sources in the civic body informed that the BJP cannot get the chairperson ousted unless and until the party-backed councillors muster the support of either the Digambar Kamat-group of councillors in the civic body or engineer a split in the 12-member Goa Forward group in the Municipality.
Sources in the Goa Forward group of councillors informed that the group, barring one councillor, are behind the party chief Vijai Sardesai. Sources, however, do not rule out the possibility of a couple of councillors switching sides if they realise that the party may not nominate them again in the Municipal elections scheduled next year.
Questions are being raised in the corridors of the civic body whether councillors aligned to the Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat will join hands with the BJP-backed councillors to dislodge the Municipal chairperson. It is an open secret that majority of the Digambar-backed councillors in the civic body are not in favour of Babita’s continuation on the Chair. At the same time, one question that remains unanswered is whether the group of Congress councillors will prefer to join hands with the BJP-backed councillors to seek Babita’s ouster.
Leader of the Digambar-group of councillors, Doris Texeira told The Goan that she is in no way connected with the topping game, making it clear that leaders and the two MLAs will take a call on the leadership issue.
In the 25-member Margao civic body, the BJP has around seven councillors and the group cannot table a no confidence motion unless it receives the backing of the Digambar-led group or engineer a split in the 12-member Goa Forward-backed group of councillors.
During his last visit to the Margao Municipal Council along with Margao MLA Digambar Kamat over a month ago, Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai was categorical in saying that he would not hesitate to bring about a change in the civic body if that helps to usher development and streamline administration.
