Kamat, Sardessai seem to have their way in Margao ward reservation
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, OCT 1
Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat and GPCC General Secretary Vijay Sardessai seem to have had their way with the ward reservation pie for elections to the 20-member Margao Municipal elections.
Reservation of seats notified by the Director of Municipal Administration for the OBCs, STs and women shows that the wards of two senior city-BJP leaders have been reserved for the OBC. If BJP leader Rupesh Mahatme could not contest the last elections after his Ward No 15 was reserved for women, this time the ward is reserved for the OBC candidate. Similarly, Ward No 17 represented by BJP leader and former chairperson Kamlini Painginkar has been reserved for the OBCs this election.
Mahatme was critical of the manner in which reservation has been done by the government, but said he may contest in some other ward after consulting his workers.
Suspense was finally over for MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho, whose ward has been reserved for women this time. His wife, Pratima had geared up to contest the polls from the Colmorod ward long ago.
However, there was bad news for Panchayat Minister, Babu Azgaonkar’s brother Rajendra, whose ward has been finally reserved for women.
In the Fatorda area of the civic body, GPCC General Secretary Vijay Sardessai literally had his way with the reservation. Ward No 3, which has been eyed by his close aide and Fatorda Block Congress President Joseph Silva, has been reserved for women. This implies that Joseph will cross swords against sitting Councillor and Sardessai’s bete noire from the reserved ward.
Despite the secret meeting at the residence of Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat a fortnight ago, reservation did not come to the rescue of former Minister, Luis Alex Cardozo, whose son Tito is planning to contest from Ward No 9. Even though Cardozo had hoped and expected that his ward was reserved for ST, Ward No 9, however, finds in the general category.
Incidentally, the Marlem ward – which has less number of ST population compared to Borda and Agalli – has been reserved for ST women. This implies that both sitting Councilor Ramdas Hazare is out of the fray from this ward, as well as his wife, who was planning to contest from the ward if it was reserved for women. The move has also checkmated prospective candidates eyeing on the Marlem ward, comprising of the Holy Spirit locality.
Another Sardessai’s close aide and sitting Councilor Gonzaco Rebello has also benefited from the reservation, as his ward is reserved for OBC.
The notification has evoked sharp reaction from a prospective candidate, Savio Dias, whose ward No 8 has been reserved for OBC.
Condemning the ward reservation process, Dias said the process was undertaken not by the government but by interference of defeated candidate and GPCC general secretary Vijay Sardessai to suit the interests of his cronies.
He said ward No 8 has been reserved for the OBC just to keep him out of the Municipal polls to silence his voice.
