Team Herald
MARGAO: It is going to be a straight fight between the Margao Civic Alliance and the Vibrant Margao panel at the Margao Municipal Council elections with the Citizens Choice Panel and the Shadow Council for Margao in collaboration putting up candidates in some wards.
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In 24 of the 25 wards of Margao the Margao Civic Alliance and Vibrant Margao candidates are in the fray. The only exception is Ward 24 where the Congress has not announced its candidate. The Margao Civic Alliance is an arrangement made by Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, former deputy chief minister Vijai Sardesai and Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco to jointly fight the Vibrant Margao panel which is floated by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Digambar Kamat has named candidates under Model Margao in Wards 12 to 22, while Fatorda Forward has named candidates in Wards 1 to 11. Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco was supposed to name the candidates in Wards 23 to 25 that form part of Curtorim Assembly constituency.
However, Fatorda Forward has named candidates in Ward 23 and 25 and there is no official candidate of the alliance in Ward 24 though it is presumed that Usman Khan is the most likely candidate of the alliance.
In six wards namely Wards 2, 5, 14, 16, 19 and 21 it is going to be a straight fight between the alliance candidates and BJP backed candidates. In fact in ward 14 which is reserved for SC women, Tourism Minister Babu Ajgaonkar’s niece Ronita is contesting against Jamuni alias Sulu fielded by Digambar Kamat.
Incidentally Citizens Choice Panel is formed largely by supporters of Aam Aadmi Party and they have named candidates in Wards 1, 7, 15, 23 and 24. However, though Citizens Choice Panel and Shadow Council for Margao are supposed to be contesting the elections jointly, both have a candidate in one ward.
In all there are 31 candidates contesting as Independents with the highest number being seven in Ward 24. Only the BJP and Citizens Choice have officially declared their candidates in this ward.
