MARGAO
Who’s going to be the BJP nominee for the vacant post of South Goa Zilla Panchayat Chairperson? Will Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho have his way to get his close aide, Sancoale ZP member Anita Thorat or will the party handpick any one amongst the women Zilla Panchayat members hailing from the ST community including Sanjana Velip to send a clear signal to the Scheduled Tribes that the BJP does care for the community in the scheme of things.
Well, even as elections for the post left vacant by the resignation of Chairperson Suvarna Tendulkar is scheduled on August 26, the ruling BJP camp is mired in suspense over the choice of candidate to head the district Panchayat body.
Take note, the post of South Goa ZP chairperson is reserved for women. The BJP has no dearth of women representatives at the South Goa Zilla panchayat. That’s not all. The BJP enjoys a clear majority of its own and is expected to have no problem in cobbling up the required numbers to ensure a smooth sailing in the August 26 election.
The moot question, however, remains unanswered “ who will be the BJP’s choice of candidate for the South ZP post? This question has come to the fore with just seven days to go for the election scheduled on August 26.
Inquiries by The Goan have revealed that since the time outgoing ZP Chairperson Suvarna Tendulkar had put in her papers till date, the BJP leadership had no meeting with the party-backed ZP members to decide on the leadership question.
And, if sources at the South ZP are to be believed, the possibility of the party leadership calling for a meeting of the ZP members is remote. In fact, a BJP ZP member pointed out that the party leadership may announce the candidate for the top post just a day before the scheduled election
“We have no information whether the party will take the elected ZP members into confidence or not before finalizing the candidate. So far, we have not received any such intimation. We have no idea what is there is the mind of the party leadership over the candidate”, remarked a member.
Incidentally, sources pointed out that while outgoing South ZP Chief Suvarna Tendulkar was the lone BJP member, who was twice elected to the district Panchayat body, the other members are all first time members of the Zilla panchayat.
Incidentally, given that the Zilla Panchayats come under the Panchayat portfolio, sources do not rule out the possibility of Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho batting for Sancoale ZP member Anita Thorat for the top post.
On the other hand, BJP insiders say the BJP may bat for a ZP ST member as the party nominee for the Chairperson’s post to send the right signal for the Scheduled tribes, who have a significant presence in South Goa district, more so with the ST population insisting on political reservations in the 2027 Assembly election.
