MARGAO, OCT 20
The BJP on Wednesday announced its list of candidates for the ensuing polls to the Margao Civic body.
Party MLA Damu Naik said the party will field candidates in 16 wards and would extend support to other candidates in the remaining four wards of the 20-member Municipal body.
The list was released in the presence of Party leaders Narendra Sawaikar, Sharmad Raiturcar, former MMC Chairperson Kamlini Painginkar and others. The party-backed candidates fielded by the party were also present.
Replying to a question, Damu said there is no harm to extend support to other candidates or to accept support for the BJP-backed candidates support from other groups. “These elections are not held on party lines. The party had ruled the Margao Civic body for four years and eight months under the leadership of Kamlini Painginkar and had given a stable council. Again, the BJP has fielded candidates to give the people a stable council”, he said, while making an appeal to the citizens of Margao to support the party-backed candidates.
When newsmen drew his attention to ward No 13 and 19 where the candidates Leena Katkar and Carol Poinguincar respectively are being backed by the Margao Loksamiti, Damu said “the BJP is supporting these candidates in these two wards. If Leena and Carol are also being supported by other groups, we have no problem”.
He said the BJP is supporting the Independent candidates, namely Piedade Norohna in ward No 3, Purnanand Chari in ward No 8, Raju Naik (5) and Carol Poinguinkar (19). “The party has taken the permission of these candidates to support their candidature and they have no objections”, he added.
Replying to a question, he said the Congress leaders had manipulated reservation of wards to benefit candidates in certain wards, adding that the BJP and the people of Margao and Fatorda would give a befitting reply by defeating the candidates.
Among the prominent BJP candidates in the fray are party leader Rupesh Mahatme in ward No 20 and two-time Councilor Narayan Fondekar, who is contesting the polls for the third time in a row. Another sitting Councilor in the fray is Raju Shirodkar in Ward no 6. Former Chairperson Kamlini Painginkar is not in the fray this time after her ward No 17 was reserved for OBC this time.
The party-backed candidates are Narayan Apa Naik (1), Priya Kamat (2), Sushma Velip (4), Raju Shirodkar (6), Sugandh Bandekar (7), Durgadas Prabhu (9), Nutan Kundaikar (10), Narayan Fondekar (11), Demu Kavlekar (12), Leena Katkar (13), Deelip Bandekar (14), Maya Karapurkar (15), Mahananda Gawande (16), Damodar Shirodkar (17), Anand Shirodkar (18) and Rupesh Mahatme (20).
