Team Herald
PANJIM: Some of the candidates who had lost the Assembly elections have now tasted success in the local-self governing bodies by winning in the August 10 village panchayat elections.
Prominent among such winners are former Calangute village Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira, who returned to grassroots politics by winning the panchayat election from his traditional ward on Friday. He had lost both – the last panchayat elections as well as the 2022 Assembly polls from the Calangute constituency while contesting on a BJP ticket.
Celebrations were in order for more than one reason– a panel fielded by Sequeira also secured a simple majority in the 11-member Village Panchayat upsetting his bête noire MLA Michael Lobo, whose panel could only win in three wards.
Former Sancoale village panchayat sarpanch Girish Pillai, who had also lost the last Assembly elections from the Cortalim constituency as an independent candidate, was re-elected from his ward with a huge margin of 646 votes. Pillai polled 1,065 votes.
Lopinho Xavier, who had unsuccessfully contested the Zilla Panchayat (ZP) election on a Congress ticket was elected as a panchayat member from Quelossim Village Panchayat in Mormugao taluka.
Also, former Rachol sarpanch Joseph Vaz, who was defeated in the ZP election, won the panchayat election from his traditional ward 3. His panel secured the majority in the five-member Rachol Village Panchayat.
