PRATIK PARAB
pratik@herald-goa.com
This is surely the irony of political ironies. In an absolute first in the state, BJP councillors of the Margao Municipal Council, have been seen and heard hobnobbing with ruling MMC councillors to get some urgent work done in their wards, since civic performance is going to be the key for candidates in the Assembly elections. The footprint of the MMC traverses the constituencies of Margao, Fatorda and Curtorim, each ruled by a non BJP MLA — Digambar Kamat, Vijai Sardesai and Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco.
Incidentally the Ward 24 Councillor Raju (Hadlee) Shirodkar was spotted with Reginaldo at several occasions, latest one being in the Housing board jointly visiting houses on the eve of Chovoth.
MLA Digambar Kamat had got six and Vijai Sardesai got 11 candidates elected to the MMC in October last year. BJP unexpectedly did no dent and got only five elected, including the runner-up of 2012 Goa elections to the Margao seat Rupesh Mahatme. Others were Ketan Kurtarkar, Sugandha Bandekar, Raju Shirodkar, and Suchita Malkarnekar who later joined the BJP. Now, recently Arthur D’silva who is the former Chairperson after being close to BJP for quite some time has now staked claim on the Curtorim candidature and has supported the BJP at MMC.
The BJP’s councillors have not been able to corner the MMC ruling group on any issues for 10 months. This has also attracted the statements of several city dwellers pointing out that there is no opposition in the MMC.
The fact that the BJP Councillors are forced to take the help of Independent and Congress MLAs confirms that it is an alarm call for the BJP in Margao The old foot soldier of the BJP and present Councillor Raju (Hadlee) Shirodkar says “The BJP MLAs and Ministers don’t even care for us,” he said. “In the past my ward was in Fatorda and through the former Fatorda MLA Damu Naik I used to get my works done. After delimitation the ward is now in Curtorim and now I have no option other than having synergy with Aleixo Reginaldo and get my works done,” he said. “People want development in the ward and the MLA has been helping me all ways without much attention to our affiliations,” said Raju.
Councillor Rupesh Mahatme has meanwhile refused to agree that he has been receiving help from local MLA Digambar Kamat for developmental works. “In the Council there is no discrimination on political lines amongst councillors,” said Mahatme
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said “All the elected and the candidates defeated by my panel are in my contact. One of the councillors is not familiar to me. Even though I have got roads in that ward hot mix carpeted”.
