Just as Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was about to pull off a coup and manage to elbow out of the fray the opposition political forces in his home turf of Sanquelim for the upcoming municipality elections, a bloke from within is said to have upset his applecart.
There were strong indications that Congress politician Dharmesh Sanglani, who gave Sawant a run for his money at the 2022 assembly elections falling short by a few hundred votes, will not contest the election.Sanglani, a tourism entrepreneur, is known to be a political force and draws his strength from the municipal jurisdiction of Sanquelim. After much deliberation, he eventually reversed his strategy and entered the fray ensuring that the May 5 election will not be a cakewalk for the chief minister.
The grapevine, meanwhile, is agog with stories of how a political bloke from within the saffron camp was instrumental in nudging Sanglani to take to the battlefield. A keen tussle is therefore now assured with Sanglani locking horns with the CM just about a year after their photo finish in the Assembly poll.
The second and larger municipality which is also going to polls on May 5 -- Ponda -- too is witnessing a keen tussle. Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik, a veteran of many a political battles over four decades, has staked his reputation and fielded both his sons in the list of 13 ruling party backed candidates.
Here too it's not going to be easy for the veteran who too, like Sawant, was stretched to the limit at the assembly elections. His challenger Dr Ketan Bhatikar fielded by the Sudin Dhavlikar led MGP, fell short only by a 100-plus votes in a cliff-hanger.
