VASCO: A day before the municipal election results can be declared, Vasco citizens are speculating about who will emerge victorious. Some feel that the BJP panel will rule the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC), while others feel that the ‘silent vote’ will hit the BJP. The cloud of suspense will vanish only when the State administration counts the votes at Bhute Bhat ground on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mormugao leaders, including Mormugao MLA Milind Naik, Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho, Congress leader Sankalp Amonkar, industrialist Narayan Bandekar, and former Revenue Minister Jose Philip D’Souza, claim that the results will be in their favour.
“I am sure that all four candidates supported by me in the four wards of Dabolim constituency will get elected. This is because people believe in my work and me. Jointly, we will take up more and more development works in all four wards,’ said Godinho.
Similarly, Almeida stated, “There is no doubt that out of the 11 candidates fielded by me, 7 to 9 candidates will be elected. All this was possibly only because of Narayan Bandekar, who created controversies and actually brought all the BJP workers together. That has benefited me a lot.”
D’Souza feels that “Out of seven candidates from my panel and one candidate whom we have supported, I am sure that 3 to 4 candidates will get elected.”
MLA Naik also feels that he will get the majority. He said, “I don’t want to give any figure, but it is certain that we will get the majority in Mormugao. I used all my cards, except for money, and thus, the people have voted for the candidates backed by me.”
Amonkar, however, expects that three or four candidates from his panel will emerge victorious. He added, “The leaders in power used all government machinery and even blackmailed voters, but I am sure that the people have faith in my leadership and have voted for the candidates supported by me and Nana.”
On behalf of Bandekar, Advocate Ashok Naik claimed that their panel would get a majority in the MMC. He said, “Out of 24 candidates, we expect at least 15 candidates will get elected. The number is sufficient to form the ruling group and bring stability to the council.”
