MARGAO: The people of Chandor Cavorim village overwhelmingly voted for new faces rejecting former sarpanch and panchas who did not perform with Derick Braganza Pereira being the only former sarpanch elected among the seven panchas.
Former sarpanch and outgoing panch Etelvina Antao e Travasso, outgoing panchas Saturlina Fernandes and Andrew Antonio Peixoto were defeated.
Derick Braganza Pereira won by the highest margin of 86 votes in Ward 1. He capitalized on the fact that his main opponent was from another ward where his wife was also contesting.
Raymond D’Cruz who is elected from Ward 5 is an activist in the village who had earlier got an illegal structure erected near a bus stop at Cavorim demolished by orders from the court and had also got an order debarring a former sarpanch from contesting the elections, which order however was overturned on appeal.
While Arlinda Tereza won in Ward 3 with the second highest margin of 81 votes, the lowest victory margin was that of Celina Coelho Furtado who won in Ward 4 by a margin of 11 votes against the former sarpanch Etelvina.
Incidentally, Mafaldina Martins was elected unopposed from Ward 6, candidate Steven D’Sa got just one vote in Ward 1 and Noby Jose D’Cunha got 5 votes in Ward 5 where elections were held yesterday.
Four of the elected panchas owe allegiance to MLA Clafasio Dias. Derick along with two others claim to be independent panchas.
