BATTLE FOR MARGAO: CONG, GF UNITE AGAINST BJP

THE GOAN NETWORK | APRIL 08, 2021, 12:38 AM IST
BATTLE FOR MARGAO: CONG, GF UNITE AGAINST BJP

Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai and Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco in a jubilant mood at the media briefing on Wednesday.

Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar


MARGAO
Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai and Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco on Wednesday unveiled the Margao Civic Alliance to fight the ensuing elections for the Margao civic body, with both Kamat and  Sardesai saying the alliance has been formed to defeat the BJP in the husting.

Both Kamat and Sardesai appealed to the people of Margao to remain united and not to allow division of votes, saying a split in the votes will only help the BJP to return to power.

Addressing a joint media conference, the opposition leader said that the Fatorda Forward and Model Margao has come together to form the Margao Civic Alliance like in 2015 to keep the BJP out of power. “We had fought under the same banner in 2015 and we are going back to the people with the same model in 2021 supported by the three MLAs”, Kamat said.

Vijai Sardesdai underscored the need for everyone to come together and send home the anti-Goan BJP government. “This is the first sign of Team Goa which will be formed to save Goa by defeating the BJP. To achieve this, we need to come together and this is a message to the people that we are all together since we are representing  political parties and are also heading political parties”, he said, adding that all the three MLAs have come together bowing to the public sentiments that the opposition should unite against the BJP.

When the media pointed out that the alliance could be some sort of a marriage of convenience, Kamat made it clear that political parties does not fight the election on party lines, adding “we are repeating the 2015 experiment to defeat the BJP.

When it was pointed out to him that the 2015 experiment had failed even though the people had given a mandate,  Kamat said the experiment did not fail, but added “somehow or other after Assembly election, it turned out a different story, and I don’t want to go into the details”

When questioned whether such type of stories will not be repeated again, Kamat shot back saying “politics is dynamic. We have to face any situation as it emerges. I don’t look in the past. Politics demand that it has to be dynamic. When I live in the present, it is my responsibility to face the present situation. Today, the present situation demands that we have to come together to defeat the BJP”.

To another question, Kamat said he and the MLAs of Fatorda and Curtorim have come together with feedback from the party rank and file. “Though elections are not fought on party lines, I had made it categorically clear that we will work out understanding across the state to defeat the BJP”, he said.

Referring  to the presence of Congress workers in the fray, Kamat downplayed the issue, saying there may be candidates here and there who will contest the elections. He, however, said he would talk to the Party President to explore the possibility of getting Congressmen withdraw from the fray.

On the failure to fulfill the promises made by the Margao Civic Alliance, Vijai Sardesai said the Alliance will come up with a detailed manifesto which will answer all questions on the performance of the last council.

Reginaldo appealed to the people of Housing Board, Fatorda and Margao to unite and defeat the BJP in the election.

Alliance only for civic
polls, says Digambar 

MARGAO: Making it categorically clear that the Fatorda Forward and Model Margao have come together only to fight the MMC polls, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat on Wednesday said the Congress leadership will take a call on the alliance with like-minded political parties  for the 2022 Assembly election at an appropriate time.

“This alliance between Fatorda Fatorda and Model Margao has nothing to do with the 2022 Assembly election. The party leadership will take an appropriate call on the alliance for the 2022 election at an appropriate time”, he said.

Kamat’s statement came after a series of questions from the scribes on the alliance with the Goa Forward Party and the Congress in the ensuing polls for the Margao Civic body. 

When his attention was drawn to reports that Congress leader Dr Ashish Kamat has shortlisted candidates for the Margao Municipal polls, Kamat shot back “Ashish Kamat is not close to me. You find out when he had joined the Congress”.

Nomination last day today:
All eyes on Fatorda Cong

MARGAO: All eyes are focused on the Fatorda Congress group on the last day of filing of nomination papers which ends on Thursday.

For, the working president of the Fatorda Block Congress Committee, Yogesh Nagvekar has filed his nomination paper in ward No 6, where the Goa Forward has fielded Pravin Naik in ensuing election.

Rochele Fernandes was another Congress candidate who had filed papers from ward no 9.

Dr Ashish Kamat said so far two Congress workers have filed their nomination papers, including Yogesh, adding that the Fatorda block Congress may field a couple of more candidates on the last day on Thursday.

ALLIANCE CANDIDATES

Ward 1 - Francis Joanes 

Ward 2- Joao Nicolau Crasto

Ward 3- Lyndon Fredy Pereira 

Ward 4- Pooja Parameshwar Naik

Ward 5 - Shweta Sujay Lotlikar

Ward 6- Pravin Jana Naik

Ward 7 - Custodio Dias 

Ward 8- Milagre Noronha 

Ward 9- Ravindra Naik

Ward 10- Vitorino Tavares 

Ward 11 - Raju Naik ( Paklo)

Ward 12 - Sagun Naik

Ward 13 - Doris Teixeira

Ward 14 - Sulaksha Jamuni

Ward 15 - Manoj Masurkar

Ward 16 - Dipali Sawal

Ward 23- Nimesia Faleiro 

Ward 25- Adv Ashma Bi 

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