MARGAO
Even as Margao Municipal Chairperson Lyndon Pereira has completed one year in office on Friday, the Margao Civic Alliance (MCA) ruling the Margao Municipal Council has come under the scanner of Madgavkars and Fatordekars.
Questions are being asked in Margao and Fatorda whether the MCA forged by Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai and Congress MLA Digambar Kamat will have a smooth sailing this time around or will history repeat in the commercial capital a la 2017 when the alliance went awry after the GFP supported the BJP-led government headed by Chief Minister later Manohar Parrikar?
As per the understanding between Digambar and Vijai, the MMC post is to be rotated between candidates of the Fatorda Forward and Model Margao every 15 months. The Goa Forward Chief told the media on the eve of completion of MMC Chairperson completing one year in office that the Goa Forward would honour the agreement by getting Lyndon step down after 15 months.
That Sardesai, however, hastened to add that the Goa Forward would cross the bridge as and when Kamat joins any other party as per the speculation, has only thrown up speculations whether the Fatorda MLA has a plan B in place to scuttle a third alternative from coming to power in the civic body.
In plain terms, what Sardesai has been apparently trying to convey that he will not sit quiet and watch Kamat and his group dumping the Goa Forward to align with the BJP group and form a new council in the event the Margao MLA embraces the saffron party.
In the 25-member civic body, the MCA enjoys a clear majority with 15 members, down by two members, after a Goa Forward councillor Sweta Lotlikar and Kamat-backed councillor Ganashyam Shirodkar switched sides on the eve of the Assembly polls.
As things stand today, the Goa Forward and the BJP-backed group enjoys the support of eight councillors each, with the Kamat-backed panel having seven councillors and Independent councillors, Ganashyam Shirodkar and Mahesh Amonkar. In the numbers game, none of the three players can hope to rule the council without the support of the other to reach the magic figure of 13 members.
MMC Chief Lyndon willing to continue in office
Even as the Goa Forward Chief asserted the Margao Municipal Chairperson Lyndon Pereira will step down from office after 15 days as per the agreement, the Civic Chief on Friday expressed his willingness to continue in office beyond the stipulated time if the councillors and MLAs support him.
“I will remain on this chair for another three months, but it is for the councillors and MLAs to take a call whether to support me to continue in office”, Lyndon said.
Saying the people were happy with the functioning of a non-corrupt Municipal Chairperson, Lyndon said he tried his level best to address issues including the Sonsodo legacy dump, revenue recoveries etc.
