MARGAO
Ahead of the political battle to wrest control over the Margao Municipal Council, with the political players anxiously awaiting the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA) to notify the election for the vacant post of Municipal Chairperson, a legal battle is on the cards over the procedure for the election of Municipal Chairperson and their removal.
After the Goa Forward-backed Margao Municipal Chairperson Ganashyam Shirodkar was voted out of office in a no-trust motion via show of hands by the 15 BJP-backed City Fathers, the leadership of the regional party, as well as the ousted MMC chairperson is bracing up to knock the doors of the Judiciary.
The legal recourse is being contemplated after the Presiding Officer, Vikas Gaunekar, Additional Secretary, Finance resorted to the show to hands to decide the no-trust motion against the MMC chairperson coupled with the fact that Gaunekar was categorical in saying there is no provision for secret ballot to decide the election of Municipal Chairperson and their removal.
Taking cognizance of the action of the Presiding Officer in resorting to the procedure of show of hands to decide the no-trust motion and his remarks there’s no provision in law to decide the election of Municipal chairpersons by secret ballot, the Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai seems to have given a go-ahead signal to knock the doors of the High Court to seek clarity on the procedure.
“We are planning to move the courts to bring clarity to the election procedure for election of Municipal chairpersons and their removals. The clarity is required to protect democracy at the grassroots, both at the Municipal and Panchayat level,” Sardesai added.
Sources in the know said the Goa Forward party and the ousted MMC chairperson may be anxious to seek clarity from the court, with speculations doing the rounds in the corridors of the civic body that the election for the vacant post of MMC chairperson will be filled up by show of hands.
The legal battle also assumes significance for the Goa Forward-led group in the civic body since the party had got Independent Ganashyam Shirodkar elected to the post with the support of 15 councillors, including the five BJP-backed councillors who had cross-voted in the election.
With the BJP leadership now tightening the screws and plugging the loopholes by putting its act together and ensuring that all the 15 councillors vote in support of the no-trust motion to defeat Ganashyam, the Goa Forward is now wary that the Presiding Officer may now resort to show of hands to decide the election of the new chairperson.
In such an eventuality, sources say the Goa Forward-backed group in the civic body will have to remain content with only 10 members since an election by show of hands will dash all hopes of the party returning to power in the civic body with the help of BJP rebels.
