MARGAO, APRIL 22
The Churchill Alemao camp in Navelim was hit by dissensions after veteran politician Bishuth Themudo withdrew his candidature from the Zilla Panchayat fray after late night talks failed to forge a consensus over the candidature for the Navelim by-polls scheduled on May 9.
With Edwin (Cipru) Cardozo – a close aide of the Alemao brothers – refusing to withdraw his candidature, a beleaguered Themudo opted to back out from the contest as he withdrew his nomination papers for the coveted seat this morning.
When contacted, PWD Minister Churchill Alemao maintained that Themudo did not consult him before withdrawing his candidature nor was asked to back out. “I was not informed by Themudo about his decision to withdraw. He (Themudo) has taken his decision to withdraw from the contest”, Alemao maintained.
When Herald contacted Themudo, he said that he finally decided to pull out of the fray after Edwin refused to withdraw his candidature. “Since Edwin was determined to contest the bye-polls, I took the decision to withdraw my candidature”, he added.
Sources in the know said the two Alemao brothers – PWD Minister Churchill Alemao and Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao – had a meeting with both Bishuth and Cirpru and their supporters late last night to hammer out compromise formulae to ensure that one amongst the duo contest the polls.
Sources said both the Alemao brothers made it very clear that they would throw their weight behind Bishuth in the event both Bishuth and Edwin decide to contest the polls. It is learnt that Edwin initially agreed to withdraw from the contest, but later maintained that his supporters wants him not to pull out from the fray at this eleventh hour.
Before polls for the Navelim ZP seat was countermanded following the death of candidate Hermino Fernandes, both Bishuth and Edwin were in the fray in the triangular contest, leaving the Alemao camp virtually divided in Navelim village.
The division was more evident in Navelim Panchayat with the sarpanch and panch members openly coming out in support of Edwin’s candidature, while the deputy Ana Carneiro extending her support to her brother Bishuth.
Incidentally, Bishuth was a former ZP member representing Navelim seat, besides being a former Sarpanch of Navelim village.
