MAPUSA
The election for the Standing Committee and Subject Committees of the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) got off to a rocky start on Thursday, forcing Chairperson Priya Mishal to postpone the meeting at the last minute due to objections raised by the opposition.
The crucial elections were scheduled for 3 pm, with interested councillors required to submit their nominations by 1 pm to the Chief Officer Chandrakant Shetkar.
However, the process was disrupted when the Chief Officer was absent, and the responsibility of accepting nominations was delegated to the Administrative Officer (AO).
At 1.10 pm, councillor Anvi Korgaonkar and some others arrived at the AO’s office to file their nominations. This prompted an immediate objection from councillor Shashank Narvekar, who argued that since the deadline was 1 pm, the nominations should not be accepted. He lodged a protest before the Administrative Officer.
In her defence, Korgaonkar stated that she had been waiting in the Chief Officer’s cabin for his arrival and had, therefore, reached the AO’s office late. Amid the confusion, Chairperson Mishal decided to postpone the elections to the next day, Friday at 3 pm.
However, the rescheduled meeting also faced procedural issues as notices were not served to all councillors on time, leading to further chaos.
Narvekar alleged that the postponement was a deliberate move to accommodate candidates who had failed to meet the deadline. “Every chairperson in Mapusa follows illegal procedures. How will Mapusa progress with such an attitude from the BJP and the ruling side?” he questioned.
Councillor Tarak Arolkar cited the rule book, stating that notices for special meetings must be issued at least three days in advance, implying that Friday’s rescheduled meeting itself may not be valid.
Dismissing the controversy as a trivial issue, Chairperson Mishal defended the postponement, explaining that the Administrative Officer had to step in due to the Chief Officer’s absence.
"Some candidates reached late due to miscommunication. Everyone should have a fair chance to contest, so the meeting was postponed," Mishal clarified.
With tensions rising, all eyes are now on Friday’s rescheduled meeting to see whether the election process will finally proceed smoothly.
