PANJIM: Post panchayat elections, a tussle is surfacing between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and Independent MLAs supporting the government for supremacy in the local self-bodies.
In the Bicholim constituency, Independent MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye claimed that most of the candidates backed by him emerged winners even as BJP tried to field candidates selectively.
According to Dr Shetye, it was a clean sweep in his home village Mencurem where all five candidates supported by him won while, he also tasted success in Sal, Mulgao and Latambarsem village panchayats except Advapal, where he failed to secure a majority.
Dr Shetye said the BJP fielded candidates selectively but extended support to others in many wards to defeat his candidates but in vain. He further said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and BJP State president Sadanand Shet Tanavade had rallied behind him during the elections.
Major differences were seen in the Curtorim constituency where the BJP Assembly candidate Anthony Barbosa claimed that most of the candidates backed by him had won the panchayat elections. However, making light of Barbosa’s claim, Independent MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco said that he never interferes in the panchayat elections.
At the same time, Lourenco said that his efforts to defeat some of the `corrupt’ panchayat members suffered a setback due to the division of votes. “I defeated some corrupt panchayat members who were harassing and fleecing villagers in Curtorim village panchayat. I also wanted to defeat another two corrupt panchas in Raia Village Panchayat but due to multiple candidates in the fray the votes got divided and the two corrupt panchas got re-elected,” he rued.
Lourenco refused to accept that candidates backed by him had lost the election in Raia village panchayat. He said, “The question of my candidates losing an election does not arise when I had not interfered in these elections. There may be my workers and supporters contesting elections but it should not be construed that I was actively supporting them.”
On the other hand, BJP functionary Anthony Barbosa appeared optimistic about taking control of most of the village panchayat including Raia where eight candidates backed by him won the election. However, he is apprehensive that the elected panchas may be poached by his opponents.
Meanwhile, Cortalim Independent candidate Anton Vas said that he too never gets involved in the local-self politics and did not support any candidate. He said, “Before the panchayat election and after the declaration of results I have clarified that I was not involved in the panchayat election.”
“I don’t want to boast about my work as people know me and my work,” Vas said indirectly mentioning that the only panchayat member to get elected unopposed was from the ward once represented by him.
“I have no differences with my opponents nor do I want to establish my supremacy in village panchayats. I want to work for the people,” Vas said.
Former Sancoale panchayat member Narayan Naik, who had contested Assembly polls on a BJP ticket and lost to Vas, said that four candidates supported by him won in the Sancoale village panchayat. He said that he had not supported candidates in the other four village panchayats and endorsed that Vas had not interfered in the panchayat elections.
