MARGAO: The Leader of Opposition and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat backed Margao Civil Alliance had a clean sweep at the Margao Municipal Council election as its candidates won in 16 wards while the Bharatiya Janata Party sponsored Vibrant Margao manged eight wards and in one ward an independent candidate won who had rebelled against Digambar Kamat.
Fatorda Forward candidates won in ward Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11 and 23 while the Model Margao candidates won in ward No. 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 22 and the Vibrant Margao candidates won in ward No. 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 21, 24 and 25.
A husband-wife duo that was sponsored by the Vibrant Margao panel has been elected as Sadanand Naik won from ward 6 and his wife Babita Naik is the new councilor elected from ward 25.
The Fatorda Forward backed Pooja Naik who was a chairperson in the previous council, won from ward 4 and Lyndon Pereira from ward 3 is the aspiring chairperson this time.
Deputy Chief Minister Manohar alias Babu Ajgaonkar’s niece Ronita won comfortably from ward 14 as she polled 659 votes while her opponent Jamuni Sulaksha alias Sulu got 580 votes. “We were expecting a lead of 100 votes from the Cine Lata area for Jamuni which did not happen and that is why we lost,” said Digambar who had sponsored Jamuni.
Incidentally Sharmad Pai Raiturkar who had earlier lost the Assembly elections as BJP candidate in Margao thrice, lost to Sagun alias Dada Naik of Model Margao from ward 12 by 11 votes which did not even after recounting.
Kalidas Naik who was th6e Vibrant Margao candidate in ward 2 was another candidate who asked for a recount as he lost by only 10 votes and there was no change in the votes after recounting.
Incidentally Mackenzie D’Costa who was the Citizen’s Choice Panel candidate from ward No. 1 could not even vote as he tested Covid Positive and is in self quarantine. Sandra Fernandes whose husband Mathew died of covid on Sunday won from ward No. 20.
The new councillors belonging to Fatorda Forward are: Joanes Francisco Agnelo (ward No. 1), Joao alias Johnny Crasto (2), Lyndon Pereira (3), Pooja Naik (4), Shweta Lotlikar (5), Ravindra alias Raju Naik (9), Vitorina alias Vitorino Tavares (10), Raju Naik (11) and Nimisha Faleiro (23).
Councillors belonging to Model Margao are: Sagun alias Dada Naik (Ward No 12), Dipali Sawal (16), Sitaram Gadekar (17), Ganashyam Prabhu Shirodkar (18), Lata Pednekar (19), Sandra Fernandes (20) and Damodar Varak (22).
Councillors belonging to Vibrant Margao are: Sadanand Naik (Ward No. 6), Milagrina Gomes (7), Camilo Barretto (8), Dr Sushanta Kurtarkar (13), Ronita Ajgaonkar (14), Damodar alias Sachin Satardekar (21), Paradkar Parvati (24) and Babita Naik (25).
Ward 15 elected an independent candidate namely Mahesh Amonkar who had rebelled against Digambar’s candidate Manoj Masurkar. Mahesh elated with his victory, held a rally in his ward even though there were clear instructions given by the District Magistrate not to have any mass celebration.
Margao Town Police did not take any action against the rally that went through from Khareband to Sirvodem and right up to the sewerage treatment plant.