The battle for control of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has intensified, with a citi zens-backed platform tak ing on the incumbent camp ahead of the March 11 civic polls. In a clear indication that the contest will be anything but routine, two former Mayors — Suren dra Furtado and Vaidehi Naik — along with former councillor Menino D’Cruz, Utpal Parrikar and former BJP functionary Dattap rasad Naik on Wednesday unveiled the ‘Ami Pan jekar’ panel. The group announced it will field candidates in all 30 wards, positioning itself directly against the panel backed by Revenue Minister Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate. Addressing a press con ference in the city, Naik and Furtado said that under the banner of ‘Ami Panjekar’, a citizens-backed initiative, the panel will contest all 30 CCP wards, describing it as an effort to reclaim the capital’s civic body from en trenched political control. Utpal Parrikar declined to reveal the names of the candidates, stating that the list is being kept confiden tial for strategic reasons and will be disclosed at an appropriate time. When asked whether this indicat ed a lack of confidence in the shortlisted candidates, Parrikar said, “We have full confidence in our candi dates. We are not disclosing their names for strategic reasons. Why hasn’t Ba bush Monserrate, who used to insert advertisements declaring his panel ahead of the poll date, declared his candidates till date?”
The panel also levelled serious allegations against the civic administration. Naik alleged that CCP staff were de laying the issuance of income and no-dues certificates to prospective candidates in an attempt to discourage them from contesting the elections — a charge that, if substanti ated, could cast a shadow over the pre-poll process. Parrikar further alleged that councillors backed by Mon serrate were unable to express themselves freely, claiming there was no consistent dialogue within the corporation. He also criticised the alleged imposition of Monserrate’s son as Mayor. “Our forum consists of independent individ uals and represents the purest form of democracy. We want good people to represent the capital city,” he said. Clarifying the nature of the platform, Naik said that ‘Ami Panjekar’ is not affiliated with any political party and in cludes members from various political backgrounds. “It comprises concerned citizens of Panjim who have come together, irrespective of their party affiliations. We aim to provide an alternative to the people of Panjim,” he said. Furtado asserted that the group has been working for sev eral years to present a credible alternative. Describing ‘Ami Panjekar’ as a non-political platform bringing together rep resentatives from different parties, he said the panel aims to ensure a direct one-to-one contest in the CCP elections — something he claimed has not happened in the past.
