Team Herald

MARGAO: With the race for the post of chairperson of the Margao Municipal Council – the second one within a month- heating up yet again, a councillor belonging to the panel affiliated to the Goa Forward Party is all set to list out his grievances before GFP chief Vijai Sardesai, before leaving to join the BJP camp, backed by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat.

According to Herald’s sources, the BJP state leadership has managed to poach two more councillors from the GFP camp, in a bid to show a majority, to bag the post of Chairperson of the civic body.

The said councillor, who has served the Municipality for a very long time, is reportedly upset with the Fatorda MLA for not being able to make a difference while sitting in the opposition camp within the civic body. “The concerned councillor has been convinced by Kamat to join the BJP camp. However, he is not ready to leave Vijai without explaining why. He has prepared a full list of grievances and will be meeting the GFP chief in a day,” said sources.

Reacting to the expected exodus, which is a major setback for the GFP, former Chairperson Ghanashyam Shirodkar questioned the need for the ordinance to elect the chairperson by a show of hands rather than a secret ballot when Kamat was sealing the BJP camp’s majority by luring away opposition councillors.

“It seems that Kamat is very much afraid, despite claiming the majority,” he said.

Sharmad Raiturkar, a BJP leader from Margao told Herald that they are not aware of the entry of a GFP councillor into the BJP camp.