Consensus reached after internal rift over top post
BJP-affiliated councillors of Ponda Municipal Council pose with Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik and BJP state president Damu Naik.
The suspense over who exactly will be the next chairperson of the Ponda Municipal Council ended on Wednesday with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party deciding in favour of Virendra Dhavlikar, the councillor who joined the saffron party after quitting from MGP.
BJP state president Damu Naik made the announcement that Dhavlikar will be their choice for chairperson after a meeting with councilors of the ruling group at the Ponda office of Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik.
BJP affiliated councillors Ritesh Naik, current chairperson Anand Naik, Roy Naik, Jyoti Naik, Vidya Punalekar, Rupak Desai, Vishwanath Dalvi, Shaunak Borkar and Deepak Kolvekar, attended the meeting.
Interestingly, Dhavlikar had lost out in the race for the top post when Ritesh Naik laid down office over a year ago. Ravi Naik's personal assistant Anand Naik threw his hat in the ring and the bitter contest between them was resolved only when Chief Minister Pramod Sawant intervened and picked Naik by way of lots.
A few weeks ago, the ruling group witnessed some rumblings after Naik failed to resign when his one-year term ended in July with the group led by Vishwanath Dalvi's at whose instance Dhavlikar had quit MGP and joined BJP raising questions and staking claim on behalf of the latter.
The fissures in the ruling group continued to fester as reports suggested that there were more claimants besides Dhavlikar for the top post when the incumbent Naik expressed his willingness to resign.
Finally Ravi Naik and BJP State president Damu Naik convinced all the councillors at the Wednesday meet where Dhavalikar was picked as the final choice.
