Ward 24 will see a straight fight between Sadanand Naik and Raju (Hadlee) Shirodkar. The former has experience of three council terms, while the other has a strong public rapport. Over 2,300 voters, most of who are from the Housing Board area, will seal the fate of the two wards on October 25.
The Housing Board area houses over 4,000 people. It earlier belonged to Fatorda, but it now falls under Curtorim thanks to the new constituency delimitation. The area presently lacks of important facilities, such as a playground, good roads, and a community centre. Sadanand and Babita have an excellent track record in these wards, but the people are craving for more.
In Ward 25, Babita will take on Kutubuddin Bhagewadi, Kalandar Khan, Nagraj Naik and Prashant Shirodkar. Many of the voters in this ward belong to the minority Muslim community, which traditionally swing in favour of the non-BJP candidate. However, with two Muslim candidates in the fray, the results cannot be predicted easily. Some of the long-pending issues of the Housing Board area, like bad roads and lack of public facilities, may work against the sitting-councillors.
“My advantage is that I have helped many people from my ward with official work, like helping them get certificates. The people are with me for the help I have given them,” said Babita, who will enter her third term if re-elected.
Ward 24 has 2,325 voters, out of which 1,154 are male and 1,171 are female. While Sadanand has the advantage of his constant public contact for events, right from naming ceremonies to funerals, Hadlee has the support of many Hindu voters in the areas due to his work as a trustee of temples. It is being said that the fate of both men lies in the hands of the minority voters.
Meanwhile, six candidates ate in the fray in Ward 23. The key players are the BJP’s Margao Development Front, MLA Vijai Sardesai’s Fatorda Forward, among the independents. The ward has 2,392 voters, out of which 1,192 are women and 1,137 are men.
BJP Candidate Sugandha Bandekar has been in the news from the beginning due to a poll-related controversy surrounding her brother, Deputy Collector Ajit Panchwadkar. She had unsuccessfully contested in Ward 7 in the last elections. She is preparing to get the seat this time round, with her advantage being less or no experienced candidates against her.
