Ponda: With elections just 10 days away, poll fever has been gripping the State and with several sarpanchas still trying their best to cling on to power in Dharbondara.
There are several former sarpanchas from Sacorda, Kirlapal-Dabal and Dharbandora panchayats in the fray for many years after they have been elected to the panchayat.
Kirlapal and Sacorda each has 6 former sarpanchas trying their luck. Damodar Naik (ward 2), Kalidas Gaonkar (ward 3), Ramakant Gaonkar (ward 4), Bhola alias Barkelo Gaonkar (ward 5), Sukanti Gaonkar (ward 6), and Kushtha Velip (ward 8) will be contesting from Kirlapa-Dabal panchayat and all have held the sarpanch’s post previously. The experienced candidates contesting the polls after 10-20 years have been the talk of the town among locals.
Ward 5 of Sacorda panchayat will witness an epic contest between two former sarpanchas Jitendra Naik and Shirish Dessai while has another pair of former sarpanchas namely Kamlakant Naik and Ujjwala Gaonkar battling it out. Neha Kalekar from ward 4 and Dinanath Gaonkar from ward 7 are also out the list.
It is pertinent to note that Sanvordem MLA Dr Ganesh Gaonkar, former PWD minister Deepak Pauskar, South Goa ZP president Suvarna Tendulkar and former forest minister and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar are all residents of Kirlapal-Dabal.
