TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: The fate of many a Salcete political leader, including Ministers, MLAs, former ministers and MLAs hangs in balance as the taluka goes for the Zilla Panchayat polls on Wednesday.
While the elections had virtually turned into a do or die battle for the contesting candidates, the situation was no better for the high profile politicians from the taluka, who had all plunged themselves into the electoral battle either to test the political waters or to show solidarity with their close confidantes in the fray.
Ruling alliance leaders, including Goa Vikas Party Supremo Mickky Pacheco, MLAs Caitu Silva, Rajan Naik, Benjamin D’Silva had all campaigned vigorously for the candidates either fielded or backed by them in their areas of influence. Besides, former Ministers, Churchill Alemao, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Joaquim Alemao had all descended on the battle front in support of their candidates in their respective constituencies.
Though Fisheries Minister, Avertano Furtado did not publicly announce his candidates for the Navelim seat, he made his presence felt at the Davorlim ZP constituency in support of the BJP candidate Ulhas Tuemkar.
Similarly, while Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco stayed away from the election campaign in the home ground, he was seen at Nuvem in support of his friend Wilfred D’Sa who was engaged in a close battle against the candidate fielded by his arch rival, Mickky Pacheco.
In Velim, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, who had initially kept away from the electioneering, joined the battle at its fag end in support of Mancy Rodrigues in a bid to defeat Pedrina Cardozo, fielded and backed by rival, MLA Benjamin D”Silva.
Similarly, both Caitu Silva and his arch rival Churchill Alemao left nothing to chance in Benaulim constituency. While the Benaulim MLA moved door to door in support of Honey D’Costa, Churchill left no stone unturned to garner the much-needed support for Maria Rebello.
Meanwhile, all eyes are focussed on the GVP supremo MIckky Pacheco, who has fielded as many as four candidates in the constituencies of Colva, Nuvem, Raia and Curtorim. That Mickky hopped from one constituency to another to drum up support of party candidates is an open secret. And, he knows for sure the importance the Nuvem seat holds for him personally, with his arch rival Wilfred D’Sa having made up his plans to take on him from Nuvem in the 2017 Assembly election.
Meanwhile, around 1200 polling staff along with the police personnel fanned out to the polling stations in the nine Zilla Panchayat constituencies in Salcete taluka. Not a single polling station in the taluka has been declared as sensitive in the ensuing election.
Returning officer Ajit Panchwadkar said the election authorities are all geared up to conduct elections for the nine Zilla Panchayat constituencies in Salcete in a free and fair manner.
