Team Herald
MAPUSA: Five-time councillor and BJP’s ex-State Executive member Sudhir Kandolkar, who officially joined the Congress on March 24, filed his nomination for Mapusa by-poll before the Retuning officer on Monday. There are over 29,000 voters in Mapusa and he is all set to contest against the BJP candidate Joshua D’Souza.
With Kandolkar as the candidate, the chances for Congress have been strengthened for the first time in the last two decades. The top brass of the party and other party workers accompanied him.
Expressing happiness after filing his nomination, Sudhir said he was thankful to the Congress party for giving him the ticket. “I am happy that all Congress leaders have come to support me. The Congress has given me a chance by giving me a ticket and I am grateful to them. After the election I will break the first coconut at the new Mapusa bus stand. Mapusa is lagging behind and has several other issues. On April 23, I am confident that all will vote for me,” said Kandolkar, the two-time Mapusa Municipal Council Chairman.
Speaking to the media persons, GPCC president Girish Chodankar said there is a need to listen to the voice of the people and stay united. “The people of Mapusa and across Goa want a change. Everyone wants a people’s government. It has been seen that corruption and people’s issues are not addressed. There is a need to stop what is going wrong somewhere. The people of Mapusa, Mandrem and Shiroda will decide the future of Goa. Sudhir has been the king maker all along but will now become king. He has a good connection with the people in Mapusa,” said Girish, who had filed his nomination earlier in the day.
Opposition Leader, Chandrakant Kavalekar said all Congress leaders have come to support Sudhir and are confident that he will win by a huge margin. “The Congress flag will finally emerge victorious here. With the crowd support witnessed, Congress will win. He has earlier worked on the sidelines of the earlier Mapusa MLA and now he himself has taken up the challenge to revamp Mapusa. Seeing the present atmosphere it seems that Congress will win all three by-elections. BJP from 21 they came down to 13. The State and Central governments have failed. Now, they have nothing to assure or promise the people because they have not fulfilled their last promise,” said Kavalekar.
Senior Congress leader and MLA Pratapsingh Rane said, “There is no doubt that he will win. The people of Mapusa will collectively make him victorious,” said Rane.
Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, Nilkanth Halarnkar, Ramakant Khalap and party’s North Goa district president Vijay Bhike were also present.
