Team Herald
MARGAO: Cuncolim BJP MLA Clafasio Dias is going to have a tough battle to get the party candidate elected from Guirdolim constituency at the ensuing Zilla Panchayat (ZP) elections even though Minaxi Gaonkar’s withdrawal from the fray did give him a breather.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
The Congress candidate Sonia Fernandes is emerging a front -runner to win the elections as she is backed not only by Congress but also former minister Joaquim Alemao and his son Yuri Alemao. “We want to ensure the defeat of the BJP in this constituency and that is why we are supporting Sonia,” said Joaquim Alemao.
Sonia, who earlier was associated with the Goa Forward Party and is now a Congress candidate, said party affiliation, is not an issue but defeating the BJP is the focus and aim and that is why she said the Alemaos are supporting her.
Clafasio who was elected as a Congress candidate to the Goa Legislative Assembly sprung a surprise when he defected to the BJP and in fact was even grilled over this when he had gone for a gram sabha at Chandor.
The former Guidolim Sarpanch and present panch member, Sonia, is getting a lot of support in her own village and the neighbouring Chandor. Incidentally, Sonia is getting good support in Padora, too, even though it is the village where Clafasio lives and this is primarily because Minaxi Gaonkar has withdrawn from the fray.
The BJP candidate Sanjana Velip who incidentally was defeated at the last ZP election is banking upon support from Balli where she is a panch member. Number wise, the scales seem to be tilting in favour of Sonia as the total votes in Chandor, Guirdolim and Paroda are nearly 10,000 as against the 5,000 votes in Balli.
Congress apparently is banking on the anti-BJP sentiments amongst the minority community, which will help Sonia with the only hindrance being the AAP candidate who is also from Guirdolim, and hails from the minority community.
