MARGAO: Launching his ‘Fatorda Forward’ campaign with the aim of working towards a ‘smart city’ with smart candidates, Independent MLA from Fatorda, Vijai Sardesai on Tuesday declared a list of candidates backed by him. 11 of the 12 candidates have filed nominations on Wednesday, a day before the last day of filing nominations.
Sardesai highlighted that 11 of the 12 candidates fielded by his ‘Fatorda Forward’ panel are new and young faces all below the age of 50 years. Sardesai highlighted that Margao has missed the opportunity of being developed as a Smart City thanks to the BJP Government. He has therefore decided to support smart, young and educated individuals with fresh ideas to make Margao a Smart City in the true sense. Sardesai said that all communities of society have been represented in the ‘Fatorda Forward’ panel and that all the candidates will contribute to mnake Margao a better place to live in.
Sardesai explained that the Fatorda Forward candidate for Ward No. 3, Saluzinha Crasto, was not able to file her nomination because Dy. Collector Ajit Panchwadkar illegally denied her an OBC certificate. Saluzinha had all the requisite documents that qualified her to obtain the said certificate, but she has obviously been deliberately denied her constitutional right so that the entire panel couldn’t be declared on the day of nominations. Sardesai questioned the intentions of the Dy. Collector whose sister is herself a candidate of the BJP-backed panel for a ward in the Margao Municipal Council. Sardesai explained that Saluzinha has petitioned the Chief Minister, State Election Commissioner and the National Commission for Minorities so that this injustice should not go unchallenged.
Sardesai said that the denial of the Caste Certificate is just another step in the conspiracy being plotted by the ruling dispensation to win the municipal elections by foul means as the BJP is fully aware that 3 and half years of their mis governance can only ensure their loss in these elections if fairly fought. What started with the mischievous delimitation exercise was followed by the illegal reservation procedures and is now down to targeting individual candidates. He expressed the apprehension that there could be more attempts to illegally sabotage the prospects of non BJP backed candidates. He was however confident that the people of Margao would have the final say and would teach the manipulative BJP leaders a fitting lesson.
