MARGAO
As Margao Municipal Chairperson Lyndon Pereira completes 13 months in office, Madgavkars and Fatordekars have a question or two “ will the Margao Civic Alliance (MCA) forged by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and his Fatorda counterpart Vijai Sardesai continue to maintain its stranglehold over the A Class civic body or will the changing political circumstances propel a third force to power to rule the civic body in the future?
Power-sharing agreement between Kamat’s Model Margao and Sardesai’s Fatorda Forward entails that incumbent Municipal Chairperson Lyndon Pereira will hold the reigns of office for 15 months, before the coveted chair is rotated to the Kamat’s group to rule for the next 15 months.
In the number-game in the 25-member civic body, Vijai’s group enjoys support of eight councillors, one down from the original strength, after councillor Sweta Lotlikar switched sides to join the BJP. The Kamat group, on the other hand, is now reduced to seven members after senior councillor Ganashyam Shirodkar left the group a year ago. The BJP has eight members in the civic body, while two councillors, Ganashyam Shirodkar and Mahesh Amonkar are perceived as independents.
On paper, the Kamat-Sardesai’s Margao Civic Alliance (MCA) has enough numbers to retain power in the civic body for the next 15 months. Political observers, however, have posed two crucial questions for the MCA leaders “ will the Kamat camp cross the big hurdle by forging a consensus candidate for the top slot and, two, whether the Vijai group back the candidate proposed by the Kamat camp.
These two questions, political observers say will determine the fate of the MCA in the civic body as and when incumbent Chairperson Lyndon Pereira steps down from office two months from now in August.
For, sources say two-time Model Margao councillor Damu Shirodkar is expected to insist that Digambar Kamat honour what he termed as the commitment to support his candidature for the top slot. On the other hand, a group of Model Margao councillors seem opposed to Damu occupying the hot seat. In this situation, all eyes will be focused on the Margao MLA and how he goes about in getting his group of councillors to forge a consensus.
In the Fatorda Forward camp too, one has heard voices of councillors in support of former MMC Chairperson Ganashyam Shirodkar. In fact, a senior member of the Fatorda Forward group of councillors, Raju Naik is openly batting for Ganashyam Shirodkar’s candidature for the coveted post. In this contest, political observers say the role of MLA Sardesai will come into picture, whether he would retain his flock together, or allow them to support the candidate of their choice.
Surprisingly, the BJP is maintaining low key status in the civic body. The BJP-led group enjoys the support of eight councillors in the 25-member body, five short of forming the Council. Political observers, however, do not rule out the possibility of the BJP fishing in troubled waters in the event a consensus candidate for the top post eludes the Kamat camp and the Fatorda MLA fails to retain his flock together.
Another factor being debated in local political circles is the speculations over moves by the Margao MLA to embrace the ruling party. Sardesai has been quick in saying that he does not want to comment on speculations, but at the same time, sounded a warning that political observers should not expect him to sit quietly and watch Kamat group forming the Council with the support of the BJP group.
