Team Herald
PANJIM: Disturbed with the delimitation and reservation process undertaken for the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), the BJP-backed corporators sought intervention of the party State leaders to clear the chaos. However, the BJP Panjim MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate has claimed that the reservations will help ‘introduce new faces in the City Corporation’.
“It is important that new faces get into the elections. I will consult the party and accordingly the candidates will be finalised and announced,” said Babush who exudes confidence that BJP-backed candidates will win all 30 wards.
As per the notification issued by the State Election Commission (SEC), of the 30 wards, total 14 wards are reserved for general category, five for other backward class (OBC), seven for women , three for OBC women and one for schedule caste (SC).
The wards reserved under general category are 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 22, 23, 26, 28 and 29. Those reserved for women are 4, 5, 9, 15, 21, 27, 30 while for OBC Women are 12, 18 and 24. For OBC the wards reserved are 7, 16, 19, 20, 25 and ST is 2.
“The reservations and delimitation done is to facilitate Babush’s people in CCP panel. A complete injustice has been done on the sitting corporators, several who were new faces introduced by BJP in the last election,” a senior councilor said.
Former Mayor and sitting corporator Surendra Furtado, whose ward number has been changed from 9 to 8 and it’s reserved for OBC, too reiterates that reservation and delimitation is undertaken to accommodate Babush’s people. “I am not shocked with the process. This was expected,” he said. His wife Ruth’s ward number is also changed from 10 to 9 and it’s reserved for women.
Sitting Mayor Uday Madkaikar said that the reservations are done by the SEC as per the Corporation Act. “Sixteen wards have always been reserved and the same is maintained this time,” he said. Madkaikar’s ward number is also changed from 18 to 14 and it’s been reserved for General candidate.
The councillors have raised their unhappiness in front of party president Sadanand Shet Tanavade and have sought his intervention. Tanavade however, said, “No corporator came to meet me on the issue.”
The ward of former deputy mayor Lata Parekh is reserved for OBC women, BJP corporator Pramay Mainkar’s ward number is changed from 16 to 7 and reserved for women OBC and BJP’s Pundalik Raut Dessai’s ward number is changed from 21 to 15 and reserved for women candidate.
