MARGAO
Goa Forward-backed Lyndon Pereira is all set to become the next chairperson of the Margao Municipal Council on Thursday. Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat-backed Deepali Sawal will be his deputy.
The unopposed election of Lyndon and Deepali will only mean that the Margao Municipal Council will be ruled by the Margao Civic Alliance comprising of opposition Congress and Goa Forward represented by Opposition leader Digambar Kamat and Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai.
In 2015 also, the Margao Civic Alliance had stormed to power, virtually sweeping the MMC polls to form the Council. The Alliance, however, collapsed midway following Goa Forward propping up the BJP-led government headed by former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar after the Assembly election in 2017. Since then, Goa Forward and the Congress-backed councilors had been at logger heads with the Congress-backed councilors even going to the extent of opposing resolutions tabled by the ruling Goa Forward.
Both Kamat and Sardesai, however, came together again in 2021 to revive the MCA in a bid to keep the BJP at bay.
That the election of Lyndon and Deepali will be a mere formality at the meeting convened on Thursday as the Presiding officer received the lone nomination papers from the duo on Wednesday.
In the 25-member civic body, the BJP-backed panel could win only seven seats. One seat was won by Independent Mahesh Amonkar.
Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes informed that Lyndon’s nomination was proposed by Deepali Sawal and ex-MMC Chairperson Pooja Naik. For the post of vice-chairperson, Deepali’s candidature was proposed by Lyndon Periera and Sagun (Dada) Naik.
Discontentment in the camp;
Digambar comes under fire
MARGAO: The Margao Civic Alliance (MCA) may have had a smooth sailing in having its man to head the Margao Municipal Council, but all doesn’t seem too well in the Digambar Kamat camp with at least two councilors -- former chairperson Ganashyam Shirodkar and two-time councilor Damu Shirodkar openly questioning Kamat’s role in allowing the regional party to have its way.
After the duo was found conspicuous by their absence at the joint meeting of the MCA on Tuesday evening, both Ganashyam and Damu along with their common friends had a meeting in the city on Tuesday night to take stock of the situation and chalk out future course of action.
The duo were strong contenders from the Kamat camp, having eyed on the chairperson’s post, only to be left disappointed after the Goa Forward had its way in having Lyndon nominated for the top post.
Ganashyam told ‘The Goan’ that Kamat ought to have convinced the Goa Forward chief to leave the chairperson’s post for the Model Margao candidate. “I am told that even Sardesai was open to allowing Model Margao candidate to head the civic body during the first 18 months. We fail to understand why the Opposition leader did not insist with the Goa Forward chief to leave the post to Model Margao”, Ganashyam said.
He further said that the Margao MLA did not take the Model Margao-backed councilors into confidence before working out an understanding with Sardesai. “Kamat should have briefed his councilors on the discussions he had with Sardesai before arriving at any decision”, Ganashyam said.
Damu is also sore that the Opposition leader did not even consider him for the post of vice-chairperson. A close aide of the Margao MLA for over a decade now, Damu reportedly walked out of the meeting called by Kamat on Tuesday evening, thus registering his strong protest over the way he was sidelined over the scheme of things.
