Team Herald

MARGAO: Margao Municipal Council (MMC) Councillor Mahesh Amonkar was accorded a warm welcome by the BJP after joining the party in the presence of various local leaders and the Margao BJP Mandal.

Incidentally, Amonkar had contested the recent State Assembly elections from Margao on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) ticket against Margao Congress MLA Digambar Kamat, and the BJP candidate and former minister Manohar Ajgaonkar.

Amonkar had resigned from the TMC after the Assembly results were announced but still criticises Kamat often.

With Ajgaonkar present for Amonkar’s induction ceremony, the move comes against the backdrop of speculation about Kamat defecting to the BJP.

This development could also have an impact on the upcoming elections for the post of MMC chairperson as the tenure of the present chairperson Lyndon Pereira ends this month as per the rotation policy for the post between the ruling group of MMC councillors.

The ruling group is part of the Margao Civic Alliance which was established before the municipal elections and comprises councillors from the camp supported by the Margao MLA and the other camp supported by Fatorda MLA and Goa Forward Party (GFP) President Vijai Sardesai.

It is now the turn of a Kamat-backed councillor to get the post of chairperson and veteran councillor Damu Shirodkar is a contender.

At the time Pereira was elected to the post of chairperson, the size of the BJP group in the council was just seven while Amonkar had supported the choice of Pereira as chairperson along with another independent candidate Ghanshyam Shirodker. However, one of GFP’s councillors Shweta Lotlikar had resigned from the party and joined the BJP recently and with Amonkar’s addition, they are now the biggest group in the council, with nine members