TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Two prominent BJP leaders were on Monday voted out of office from two village panchayats in Salcete after members expressed lack of confidence in their style of functioning.
In both the cases, the incumbent sarpanchas were dislodged by members of the ruling groups, exposing the infightings in the BJP camp over sharing of power.
In Guirdolim, Sarpanch Milagres de Chandor was dislodged from office after the no-trust motion tabled against him by five members was carried by 5-0 votes. Milagres along with deputy Sarpanch Flavia D’Costa made his presence felt in the panchayat when the no-trust proceedings were underway and submitted resignation letters from the two posts.
Incidentally, Milagres was seen outside the panchayat ghar with his supporters as he took a dig at the opposition for dislodging him from office without any genuine reason. “I still maintain that the five signatories have dislodged me without any reason. They have failed to tell the villagers of Guridolim why I am being dislodged. People of Guirdolim know the amount of work put in by me during the last seven months,” he said, adding that he would continue his good work for the benefit of the villagers.
One of the signatories to the motion, Agnelo Crasto accused Milagres for allegedly instigating the people against them. “We have moved the no-trust motion against the sarpanch because he was not taking us into confidence,” he asserted.
Crasto said the five-member group will meet to choose the new leader to contest for the post of sarpanch. Sources in the know said that Cuncolim BJP MLA Rajan Naik had called all the seven panchayat members at his residence on Sunday, but only Milagres and Flavia are believed to have attended the meeting.
At Aquem-Baixio, Sarpanch Deepa Damu Naik was voted out of office in a no-trust motion by 6-0 votes. Though Geeta had claimed on Saturday that she has resigned from the post and that her resignation had come into effect from Saturday, the rival group insisted that the motion be taken up for discussions on Monday.
Salcete BDO Manuel Barretto gave his go-ahead signal for discussion on the no-trust motion on grounds that his office has not received any communication from the Director of Panchayats on Geeta’s resignation. All the six signatories to the motion voted in favour of the motion, while the sarpanch, her husband Damu and one more member abstained.
After the motion was passed, Deputy Sarpanch Steven Vaz told the media that they have voted out the Sarpanch since no one wanted her to continue in office. Vaz said the Sarpanch was not taking anyone into confidence on panchayat matters and failed to usher development in the wards.
Sources in the know informed that the local MLA and Fisheries Minister, Avertano Furtado, was kept informed about the developments before the no-trust motion was tabled against the sarpanch. Attempts made by some BJP leaders to save the sarpanch from being dislodged, however, came a cropper, prompting her to tender her resignation.
