VASCO, OCT 28
Mormugao Deputy Collector and Election Returning Officer (ERO) Levinson Martins has declared seven wards of Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) as sensitive, including the wards of the kin of Revenue Minister Jose Philip D’Souza.
Former tourism minister Mickky Pacheco made his presence felt once again in the port town of Vasco and this time, he was seen at New Vaddem. Law enforcement agencies were on their toes for fear of another law and order problem in Vasco.
Martins’ decision to declare the seven wards as sensitive came after the State BJP demanded that wards in which D’Souza’s relatives are contesting should be sensitized in the wake of Tuesday’s incident.
Martins has stated that Wards 1, 2, 3, 9, 12, 15 and 16 should be declared as sensitive and made sure that election is held in a fair manner, while additional night flying squads with patrolling party would also be deployed.
Ward 1, where MMC Chairperson Shekhar Khadapkar is contesting, has been declared sensitive, besides, Ward 2, where bigwig from BJP and former vice chairperson Rohini Parab is contesting, and Ward 3, which has been reserved for ST, has mostly news faces, are also declared as sensitive.
All Goa Congress Pradesh Minority Department President Saifullah Khan along with eight other candidates, who are in the fray from Ward 9, is also declared as sensitive.
Ward 12, which covers most parts of Khariwado and has sitting Councilor Lavina D’Souza and Felicity D’Souza, wife of former deputy speaker Simon D’Souza, is in the fray, beside other two candidates, has been declared as sensitive.
However, the most sensitive is Ward 15, from where Pascaol D’Souza, elder brother of Revenue Minister Jose Philip is in fray with Anil Chopdekar and MMC Vice Chairperson Kashinath Yadav.
Neighboring Ward 16 has Neny D’Souza, wife of the revenue minister, is in the fray with Anita Chopdekar, wife of Anil, and Marcelina Godinho.
