Team Herald
PANJIM: The BJP bastion has fallen yet again, Panjim with comeback king Babush Monserrate returning to rule the Corporation for the City of Panjim, for the second time during this assembly tenure, albeit with a dented margin, making the battle for the capital a close race and hardly the clean sweep Monserrate was hoping for.
The Congress did not win a single seat and polled about 1400 votes across all wards it contested but did enough damage in at least 5 wards by taking away votes of the Monserrate panel.
Former Panjim MLA and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who battled hard to sort out internal differences and hoped his waning magic would work yet again, could not defend Panjim from falling. Its city government will not be in his party’s hands.
Monserrate’s Panjim City Development Front (PCDF) won 17 seats in the 30-member Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP). BJP won 13 seats. The new Corporation will be headed by Surendra Furtado who will soon be sworn in as Mayor.
The BJP backed Panjim First panel managed to win 13 seats of the total 30. The results have opened up a door for Monserrate who is planning to contest from Panjim for the 2017 Assembly elections. This also sounded a warning bell for sitting Panjim BJP MLA Siddarth Kunkolienkar, who is slowly losing his hold on this BJP-ruled constituency, owing to his dissent with the local block members.
The polling held on Sunday recorded total voting turnout of 74.81 per cent with nearly 23,675 people casting their votes. The PCDF (Monserrate), BJP and Congress garnered 22,547 votes in total while the balance was shared by the independents.
Monserrate’s panel won Wards No. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 22, 23, 26 and 28. Ward 9 and 10 are represented by Ruth and Surendra Furtado. However, compared to the 2011 elections, wherein Monserrate had won 16 seats, excluding two wards dominated by Furtado couple, Babush this time could win only 17. He lost hold on six seats while retaining 10 seats but also managed to win seven seats ruled by BJP earlier.
“I am happy that people of Panjim have selected a smart council as appealed by our Union Minister Manohar Parrikar. We will give the best as promised,” Monserrate told media persons after the victory.
The BJP panel too faced a similar win loss trend. Of the 12 seats won in 2011 election, BJP managed to continue its hold on just six seats while losing out five to Monserrate. Moreover, the party got a hold on six wards dominated by Monserrate. The 13 wards BJP won include Ward No. 4, 5, 12, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 29 and 30.
The Panjim MLA was graceful in defeat, a shift from charges of arrogance labelled against him by many rebel candidates.
“We will provide full support to the council in every decision related to the development of the city,” Kunkolienkar assured.
The election witnessed 50 per cent women candidates coming to power along 56 per cent new faces. Ten sitting corporators have managed to retain their power in the respective wards; Nazareth Cabral (2), Margarida Coelho (3), Sheetal Naik (5), Ruth Furtado (9), Surendra Furtado (10), Vaidhei Naik (12), Shekhar Degvekar (15), Pascoela Mascarenhas (17), Diksha Mainkar (24) and Shubhan Chodankar (27).
Unlike 2011 when Monserrate won all the nine wards falling in Taleigao constituency, he has lost two wards (Ward No 4 and 5) to the BJP in a straight fight this time.
Besides nine wards of CCP, the main strength of Monserrate is the Taleigao panchayat, where they literally swept the panchayat polls in April 2014 by winning 10 of 11 seats and also claimed victory in the lone ZP seat in March last year.
On the other hand, the BJP has not only retained its number but has added one more to its tally in Panjim constituency by winning 11 seats. But the 50-50 scenario in the state capital is actually a warning bell to the ruling party.
The family raj was quite evident in the civic polls wherein both Monserrate and BJP fielded husband wife in two different wards and surprisingly all ended in winners. While the Furtado couple contested from ward No 9 and 10, BJP’s Rupesh Halarnkar and Arati contested from Ward No 29 and 30.
Above all, Monserrate fielded the kin and kith of the former corporators, who also swept to victory. These are Lata Parekh, wife of former Mayor Yatin Parekh, Soraya Makhija, sister of former deputy Mayor Kabir Makhija, Reshma Karishetty, wife of ex corporator Naguesh Karishetty and Rahul Lotlikar, husband of former BJP corporator Shweta Lotlikar.
