The March 11 elections to the Corpora tion of the City of Pana ji (CCP) are emerging as a closely watched con test between rival panels backed by Revenue Min ister Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate and Ami Pan jekar, supported by Utpal Parrikar, former Mayor Surendra Furtado and former BJP functionary Dattaprasad Naik. Though withdrawals are scheduled for Thursday, nominations filed so far in dicate that at least 17 of the 30 wards are headed for direct contests, setting the stage for a series of keenly fought battles across the capital city. All eyes are on Ward IX, where longest-serving councillor and former May or Surendra Furtado takes on former Deputy Mayor Kabir Pinto Makhija. The contest revives a closely fought rivalry — in 2021, Furtado’s wife Ruth had scraped through by just 10 votes against Kabir’s sis ter Soraya, then the sitting councillor. Ward IV is another mar quee battleground. Mayor Rohit Monserrate faces former councillor Agnelo Silveria, while 23-year-old John Po has also entered the fray. The final shape of this contest will become clearer after withdrawals. Ward XVII adds political symbolism to the mix. Travel and Tourism Association (TTAG) president Jack Sukhija contest ing against two-time councillor Edward ‘Eddie’ Jorge. Jack is the grandson of Goa’s first Leader of the Opposition, late Dr Jack de Sequeira. Ward VI will once again see councillor Bento Lorena pitted against for mer councillor Shital Naik. Both have represented the ward twice, though Lorena had lost to Naik in the 2016 polls — adding a layer of unfinished business to the contest. Ward X mirrors that pattern, with councillor Prasad Amonkar facing Adv Vishnu Naik in a repeat encounter. Ward V features former councillor Kishor Sastry against former Ranji cricket captain Sudin Kamat, bringing together political experience and sporting prominence. Ami Panjekar’s panel has fielded Nilkant Chari, a well-known garage owner, against former Mayor and councillor Uday Madkaikar in Ward XIII. In Ward XIV, it has nominated former Assistant Director of Transport Madan Faterpekar to take on former councillor Prajyot Vaigankar, who is backed by Monserrate. Ward XXVI has drawn the highest number of candidates — five — in cluding councillor Vasant Agshikar, former councillor Shubhada Dhond and activist Sanjai Sarmalkar, indicating a fragmented contest that could hinge on vote splits. Although CCP elections are officially non-party contests, the underlying alignment between the Monserrate-backed panel and the Ami Panjekar group has effectively turned the polls into a prestige battle. Monserrate has maintained dominance over the CCP since it became a Corporation, but this election is being seen as a test of that grip. The intensity of campaigning, the financial stakes and the political back ing attached to take control of the State’s only municipal corporation have ensured that the March 11 vote is being watched even by those with no direct electoral stake.
17 wards headed for direct fights in high-voltage CCP elections
