PCC blanks PVS; Ravi silenced as son loses

TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
PONDA: Voters from Ponda gave a clear mandate to the Ponda Citizens Committee (PCC) backed by the BJP-MGP alliance, after 11 of its candidates were elected to the 14-member Ponda Municipal Council (PMC).
While the rival Ponda Vikas Samiti (PVS), which had fielded 13 candidates, could only win in one ward, two other wards were won by independent candidates.
Besides PVS’s heavy loss, it was also a major setback for former chief minister Ravi Naik, himself ousted in the assembly polls last year, as his son, Roy, lost elections in Ward 4 to Ravi’s rival, Venkatesh Naik. While Venkatesh polled 585 votes, Roy managed to secure 316.
 “The PMC election results itself proves that people are with the coalition government in the State,” remarked a jubilant PWD and Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar at a press briefing in Ponda.
“The BJP-MGP had jointly fielded 14 candidates and I am happy to say that 11 candidates have won. Since the last many days, the opposition had levied various allegations but a clear mandate is the people’s answer to our opponents,” said Dhavalikar.
While PCC Chairperson Dr Radhika Naik had earlier refuted claims that PCC was a coalition of the BJP-MGP alliance, Naik won with a wafer thin margin of 2 votes from Ward 11.
Addressing reporters, Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar said: “We welcome the two independent winning candidates who have extended their support to us. With this, the ruling group comprises 13 councillors, while the only councilor supported by PVS is in the opposition.”
“We respect the verdict but we strongly feel that the use of pressure tactics by those in power had helped the PCC to gain absolute majority at the PMC polls,” explained PVS President Ram Kunkoliekar at a press meet.
Incidentally, while the PCC, which is backed by the BJP-MGP alliance, secured an absolute majority in the PMC polls, PCC chairperson Dr Radhika Naik, who won by barely 2 votes, claimed that a MGP leader had worked to defeat her.
“I am aware that a MGP leader worked against me, but my win is a tight slap on his face. The efforts of an MGP leader have failed,” said Dr Naik soon after she was declared elected. Dr Radhika Naik secured 354, while her nearest rival Aarti Shinkre polled 352 votes. Besides Naik, another PCC candidate, Adv Vandana Jog, who lost from Ward 5 said: “It is difficult to trust the BJP as it had backstabbed me.” However, both Mamledar and Savoikar have refuted the allegations leveled by Dr Naik and Jog.