MARGAO, OCT 18
Congress leaders appeared to be divided in their support to candidates contesting elections to the Margao Civic body.
If candidate Avinash Shirodkar contesting from the reserved ward no 17 is being perceived as enjoying the support of Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, a host of Congress leaders rallying behind candidate Damodar Korgaonkar in the battle of the ballot.
Senior Congress leader and freedom fighter Vasant Molio, South Goa Congress President Subhash Faldesai and other party leaders made their presence felt at the election office opening at Aquem on Sunday evening.
That’s not all. These Congress leaders maintained that Damodar Korgaonkar – who is the secretary of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee — has been a loyal party worker and appealed to the people to vote and elect him as Councilor of the Margao Civic body.
Both Damodar and Avinash are Congressmen and the later is known to be a close supporter of the Margao MLA and Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat.
This is not the only ward where congressmen are crossing swords against Congressmen in Margao. Almost every ward, one finds congressmen pitted against party men in the electoral fray, with the rival BJP leaving no stone unturned to capitalize on the internal differences in the Congress camp.
Ward No 14 and 16 of the Margao Civic body are examples of Congressmen taking on the Congressmen in the polls. In Ward no 14, though former MMC Vice-Chairperson Zarinha Shah is being perceived as enjoying the support of the Chief Minister, his close aide and outgoing block President Dayanand Deulkar is also in the fray. It remains to be seen whether Deulkar’s presence in the fray actually helps Zarinha to make a come back in the Civic body or vice versa.
In ward no 16, Pratima, the wife of MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho is being challenged by Sandra Fernandes, a close supporter of the Chief Minister.
Incidentally, the Chief Minister had made light of the situation by saying he doesn’t mind friendly contests amongst his supporters in Margao. “Many of my supporters have nursed ambition to represent the people in the Margao Civic body. I have already decided not to cut short their ambitions and is in favour of friendly fights amongst Congressmen,” Kamat added.
