The voters of Canacona Municipal Council are not happy with the delimitation passed by the DMA. They severely criticized the present government for reserving the wards that favour BJP candidates. The ward No 4 of Ponsulem has been continuously reserved for the last five terms for the general category and during the last election, it was scheduled to be reserved for ladies. Due to political pressure from strong contender, Shyam Sundar Desai of the Congress, the seat was made open for contestants under the general category. Desai, however, lost the election and is contemplating recontesting from the same ward, though he was the sitting councillor and also the chairperson of the CMC for some time.
This time, from the same ward, Vishal Desai of the BJP is supported by Ramesh Tawadkar of the BJP and is gearing up for the election. Because of this, voters from several wards are not happy with the delimitation and reservation and they say that it is done purely for BJP candidates to make a back door entry.
Out of the 10 wards in CMC, one ward is reserved for OBC women while wards no 6 and 8 are reserved for women in the general category.
The dream of the sitting councillors Ratnakar Dhuri, Ajay Bhagat, Hemant Gracias and others has been devastated because of the reservation scheme.
It will be a multi-contest at Nagarcem ward as seven ex-municipal councillors; including chairpersons are trying to contest because it is open for contestants from all categories.
It is observed that since the last 30 years, this ward has been ruled by one Naik Gaonkar family that includes the father, son and the other holy spirits of the family blessed by voters. Who will unseat them will be known only after the results. The Kindlem ward, as per rotation system was expected for women but now is thrown open for contestants under the general category.
Ex-chairperson from Chauri ward, Dilip Kenkre expressed his unhappiness over the reservation of wards that includes his own. He feels that there is consistency of implementation of the government process and it is done by politicians at the helm of affairs of Canacona.
When contacted, former MLA Isidore Fernandes said that the delimitation was done as per likings of the ruling dampers and the government servants were dictated to sign the papers. Even some ministers were kept in the dark while passing the delimitation and reservation of wards.
Speaking to Herald he said that he will canvass for able candidates who can work for the people without any pecuniary gains. When contacted, ex chairperson and sitting councillor, Ratnakar Dhuri whose ward is reserved for women has said that his daughter is eager to contest the election and walk in his footsteps.
In another ward, ex-chairperson, Sameer Desai whose ward is reserved for ladies said that his wife will contest from the same ward while outgoing Chairperson Simon Rebello will recontest from Palolem ward.
The Canacona Municipality aspirants candidates have an eye on the fast approaching elections of the Canacona Municipal Council (CMC).
Speaking to Herald, Chandrakant Shetkar, Returning officer for elections of Canacona Municipal Council – 2015, who is also chief Officer of CMC cum Deputy Collector of Canacona said that a total of 9552 voters are included in ten different wards of the Municipality.
“Even if such circumstance arises, the next of kin of the ruling councillors is likely to be fielded, while close aides of the ruling ministers are reportedly tipped to contest municipal elections as ruling panel members in the wards represented by opposition councillors,” said some councillors under the condition of anonymity.
Vijay Pai further said that he presumes that the delimitation is not done as per geographical data and one political activist remarked that it is done without proper survey and by persons without doing field survey but by sitting in their office at Panjim.
Sources informed that both the Canacona Taluka Ex- MLA’S Vijay Pai Khot and Isidore Fernandes and sitting MLA Cum Sports Minister, Ramesh Tawadkar are keen to have their own candidates in the all wards of the Municipality and in these connections they had already commenced corner meetings in different parts of the Municipality in order to establish their base in the forthcoming elections.
