MAPUSA
As if the damage caused by the fresh ward reservations in the civic election was not enough, the BJP in Mapusa is now facing a rift among its former councillors over choice of wards to contest from.
Former councillors of the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC), who cannot contest from their wards as they have been reserved, are vying with each other to contest from neighbouring ‘general’ wards.
Former councillor and Vice President of the North Goa District BJP Committee, Franky Carvalho who has been displaced after his Ward 7 was reserved for OBC (general) has staked claim to contest from Ward 20.
Similarly, former chairperson and a permanent invitee of the BJP state committee, Ryan Braganza who cannot contest in his ward after his Ward 9 was reserved for women has also set his eyes on Ward 20.
Incidentally, both Carvalho and Braganza have valid points to stake claim to the ward.
Defending the former councillor’s claim to ward 20, Carvalho’s supporters claim that over 200 votes from his Ward 7 have been shifted to Ward 20 and therefore, he has a right to contest in the ward.
According to the supporters of the former chairperson, Braganza’s original Ward 9 was geographically attached to Ward 20 and therefore, he should be the ideal choice to contest from Ward 20.
Interestingly, while Aldona MLA Glenn Ticlo is backing Carvalho to contest from Ward 20, Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza is rooting for former chairperson Ryan Braganza from the same ward.
Similar situation is also developing in Khorlim, where displaced ex-councillor and General Secretary of the North Goa District BJP Committee, Rajsingh Rane of Ward 17 wants to contest from Ward 16 (general), where the BJP has already announced its candidate, Vishwas Salgaonkar, husband of former councillor Vibha Salgaonkar.
There are attempts to convince Vishwas to ask his wife to re-contest from Ward 17, which is reserved for OBC (women).
The convenor of BJP-backed Mapusa Development Front, Rupesh Kamat said the party was yet to formally meet and discuss on the selection of the candidates after the fresh reservation of wards.
“May be, some former councillors are testing the waters in some other wards after their own wards have been reserved. But nobody has expressed direct interest in contesting from one particular ward so far,” Kamat said.
“After the fresh reservation we are yet to meet to discuss on the selection of candidates. We are waiting for the elections to six municipalities and the CCP to get over and probably meet next week. All this discussion on who wants to contest from which ward and other issues will come up in the meeting,” he added.
He further said that the hunt for new candidates was going on in other wards.
“Since main persons are out of the race, now there will be more than two or three claimants for the ward. It’s a herculean task on who to select,” he said.
