the goan I network
MARGAO
With the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leadership yet to decide on contesting the ensuing Zilla Panchayats elections on the party banner, lone party MLA Churchill Alemao said he would take a call on his future course of action if the party decides against fielding candidates on the party Clock symbol.
With Churchill zeroing in on many a candidate in Salcete and outside ahead of the ZP polls, sources in the know do not rule out the possibility of the Benaulim MLA fielding independent candidates in a couple of ZP seats for the South Goa ZP constituency.
NCP president Jose Philip D’Souza told The Goan on Monday that the NCP leadership has not taken a call on whether to throw its hat in to the ZP electoral ring.
“I have no idea how Churchill has announced that NCP will field candidates for the two ZP constituencies. The party has still not received any communique from the national leadership on the ZP polls,” Jose Philip said.
He said with the ZP polls scheduled around mid-March this year and hardly any time left for the polls, the NCP Goa unit will take up the matter with the party national leadership on how to go about the matter.
“Let us receive a clear directive from the party national leadership. Till then, the party will not go about shortlisting candidates for the elections,” he added.
Churchill, however, pointed out that he has no problem if Jose Philip says the party has not taken a final decision on contesting the ZP polls on the party banner.
“Let the party take a decision, I have no problem,” he said, adding that while he would wait for the party leadership to decide, he had already made up his mind.
Having zeroed in on many candidates in Salcete and outside ahead of the ZP polls, sources do not rule out the possibility of the Benaulim MLA fielding his own set of independent candidates for the South Goa Zilla Panchayat body.
It is learnt that Churchill has shortlisted candidates for the two Zilla Panchayat seats of Benaulim and Colva in his Benaulim constituency, besides candidates for the Navelim, Velim, Verna and other seats in Salcete.
