Team Herald
PANJIM: Senior Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) leader and sitting party President Pandurang ‘Deepak’ Dhavalikar was re-elected to the post during the party’s Central Committee election held, on Saturday.
The panel headed by Dhavalikar swept the Central Committee election with clear majority.
Total 500 delegates out of 900 voted which was held by secret ballot.
Dhavalikar, who has been holding the president post for last 10 years, got elected with 409 votes as against 33 votes polled by rival Nilesh Patekar.
The term of the last committee ended in 2017 and as per the party’s Constitution, the committee can extend the term twice and the same was adopted. Accordingly, the term ended in 2019 and the elections were due in early 2020. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the same was postponed. Pratap Fadte was elected as party’s working president while Krishnanth Divkar was elected as the Vice President.
Anant Naik and Ratnakar Mardolkar are elected unopposed as Treasurer and General Secretary, respectively. The other elected members of the Committee include Shantaram Gaude, Shivdas Gaude, Naresh Gaude, Sudip Korgaonkar, Francis Lobo, Anil Naik, Ranu Naik, Mahesh Panshikar, Mahesh Satekar, Sandeep Verekar and Shripad Yende.
Dhavalikar told media persons that the election of Central Committee, with such magnitude, was held first time after 1998.
He also said that this is the answer to the detractors of the party and that there is no split in the party.
Dhavalikar said that the Committee will now work towards party reorganisation.
