Monserrate’s panel scores landslide 10-1 victory l BJP-backed panel decimated
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: St Cruz legislator Atanasio Babush Monserrate’s panel recorded a landslide victory at the Taleigao village panchayat elections held on Sunday by cornering 10 seats. The Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar backed panel led by Dattaprasad Naik had to be content with one seat.
The elections asserted the supremacy of the Taleigao strongman and bucked the trend that saw a majority of the panchayats electing BJP backed panels in the elections held previously.
After the results were announced at the Sports Authority of Goa counting centre, victory celebrations started in earnest. An elated Monserrate announced that Janu Rosario would be nominated to the post of sarpanch while Estelle de Souza will be his deputy.
Only one candidate Raghuvir Kunkolienkar managed to stem the Babush onslaught winning one seat for the BJP in ward number 9. Raghuvir beat his nearest rival Nuno Govind Kunkolkar by 20 votes (469 to 449). The other BJP panel of 11 candidates led by Ashok Naik and backed by former CCP corporator Agnelo Silveira failed to win a single seat at the Taleigao panchayat elections.
After the results were announced the Monserrate panel, Babush and Jennifer along with hundreds of supporters took out a victory rally from Campal to Taliegao amidst bursting of firecrackers.
The BJP camp which had a consolation seat attributed this to what they called the ‘M power’ of the Babush camp, even though observers say that both sides used the ‘M power’ quite liberally.
The Sunday Taleigao panchayat elections for the 11 wards passed of peacefully with a record turnover of 76.40 percent. Counting began on Monday at 8 am and as the results started trickling in the Monserrate camp began celebrations, with the CCP Mayor Surendra Furtado in tow. Furtado said that the victory of the Babush panel was a foregone conclusion.
A total of 45 candidates were fielded by the three panels. Some independents were also in the fray. While the Monserrate-backed panel fielded 11 candidates. The BJP, meanwhile had two panels. One fielded by Dattaprasad Naik and the other by former Panjim city mayor Ashok Naik and former CCP corporator Agnelo Silveira.
