MAPUSA
Three former chairpersons have fielded their sons and daughters in the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) elections, even as four former chairpersons and three vice-chairpersons are in the fray at the civic election in Mapusa.
A total of 80 candidates will be fighting the civic election from various wards in Mapusa after 19 candidates withdrew from the fray on Tuesday.
At least seven wards have new faces as contestants, while one husband-wife duo and two brothers are also trying their luck in the ensuing polls.
Twelve outgoing councillors will not contest the election either due to reservation or because their kin will replace them.
Three wards will see a straight fight, four wards to witness a three-cornered battle while eight wards will see four-cornered contests. In five wards, there will be a multi-cornered contest with the highest number of contestants in Ward 14, where eight are in the fray.
In Wards 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11 and 14, all candidates are first-time contestants while Wards 6, 13 and 19 will witness a straight contest.
Former chairperson Rupa Bhakta is crossing swords with her former colleague, ex-chairperson Sudhir Kandolkar in Ward 19, while Kandolkar’s son, Satyesh, is pitied against former chairperson Ryan Braganza in Ward 9.
The husband-wife duo of Anand Baidkar and outgoing councillor Alpha Baidkar are contesting from Wards 1 and 2 respectively. Both had contested from the same wards in the last election when Anand had lost.
Similarly, two brothers “ Tarak Arolkar and Vikas Arolkar “ are contesting in Ward 7 and Ward 8 respectively. They are contesting against seasoned politicians, Franky Carvalho, who is also the BJP Vice President of North Goa district and Marlene De Souza, who has won from Ward 8 three times.
Four former chairpersons, Ryan Braganza, Sudhir Kandolkar, Sandeep Falari and Rupa Bhakta, and three vice-chairpersons “ Marlene DeSouza, Prakash Bhivshet and Vijeyta Naik “ are contesting the election.
Former chairperson Subhash Narvekar has once again opted out but has fielded his son Shashank Narvekar in Ward 6. Similarly, ex-chairperson Michael Carrasco has fielded his daughter Nalisha Carrasco in Ward 4. Carrasco could not contest as the ward has been reserved for women.
Former chairperson Sudhir Kandolkar has fielded his son, Satyesh, in Ward 9 while former councillor Vinod Phadke has fielded his son, Viraj, in Ward 17.
Outgoing councillors Chandrashekar Benkar, Sushant Harmalkar, Sanjay Mishal, Annie Alphonso, Tushar Tople, Martin Carrasco, Madhumita Narvekar, Deepti Langekar, Vibha Salgaonkar, Rohan Kavlekar and Kavita Arlekar will not contest either because their wards have been reserved or their kin are contesting the election this time around.
Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza, who was elected councillor in Ward 13 the last time, is also not contesting this civic election.
