TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: With just a day left for filing nominations, uncertainty over selection of candidates in the remaining seats continued in the NCP and the Trinamool Congress.
Hectic parleys were going on in both the camps till late Sunday night to finalise candidates for remaining constituencies.
All India Minority Front (AIMF) which has also decided to contest twenty-two seats had till Sunday evening not declared their candidates.
The Executive Committee of the NCP which met on Sunday had a heated discussion over finalisation of candidates for Mayem, Porvorim and Mapusa with members alleging that party loyalists had been sidelined under pressure from Congress leaders.
NCP State President Surendra Sirsat said names would be declared either late in the night or early Monday morning.
Of the seven seats allotted to NCP it has so far
declared candidates in four constituencies but the remaining three have become a bone of contention with some of the Congress leaders putting pressure to accommodate their choice.
Stung by the idea of importing candidates from the Congress for seats allotted to it (NCP) some members even went to the extent of suggesting that NCP should be merged with the Congress.
The NCP State President, however, denied there were such allegations.
Earlier, speaking to the press NCP spokesperson Avinash Bhosle admitted that in Mayem they were under pressure from Vishwajit Rane, Babush Monserrate and Pandurang Madkaikar to allot the ticket to deputy mayor Rudresh Chodankar. On the other hand Ravi Naik was also demanding the ticket for his son Roy.
In Mapusa, Rane was pushing for the candidature of Ashish Shirodkar — the constituency which is also being claimed by NCP State President.
The NCP has already accommodated Yuri Alemao in Sanguem.
There is also a tough competition between NCP State Mahila President Fermina Khaunte as well NCP’s Venkatesh Prabhu Mone for the Porvorim ticket.
Monday, the last day of nominations could well spell a lot of surprises with a possibility of disgruntled aspirants from Congress and other parties contesting as independents or taking shelter with the Trinamool Congress which has till now kept its doors open.
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