Team Herald
MARGAO: After Margao, several candidates have severed ties with their leaders and are fighting as independents in the municipal elections of Curchorem-Cacora (CCMC), Quepem (QMC), and Sanguem (SMC).
The workers of Quepem MLA Babu Kavlekar, Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral and Sanguem Subhash Faldessai have become opponents of each other in several wards, troubling the MLAs quite a bit. Some wards have four candidates who are supporters of the same MLA.
The MLAs who otherwise campaign openly with their candidates have now decided to do so from behind the curtain as they are worried about angering their supporters. They have openly supported only a few during the candidature filing process.
Bertrand Fernandes and Felix Fernandes have filed their candidature from Ward 1 of CCMC although both are workers of MLA Cabral. As supporting only one candidate will sadden the second, the MLA has not declared his support to both.
Identical to Ward 1 is the ST-reserved Ward 13, from where many BJP workers are contesting the election. Some of them are former Chairperson Maruti Naik, Prajyot Naik, Onkar Vasta, and Jaykumar Naik. Party workers from the BJP women’s wing have also locked horns in CCMC’s Ward 2, which is reserved for women.
MLA Faldessai has fielded a panel of nine candidates in Sanguem under the banner of ‘Swabhiman Sanguem’. However, he is faced with a dilemma in Ward 10 as three candidates – Prakash Gaonkar, Changuna Salgaonkar and Michael Fernandes – are BJP workers. He has decided to remain unchained to this ward.
“I don’t want fights between my workers, and that is why I have stayed away. Whoever amongst the three is elected will be my candidate. And I have full faith that my panel will be elected in Sanguem,” said Faldessai.
Incidentally, Faldessai had also earlier stated that he would support the people who had helped him during the assembly elections.
The BJP and Congress are also facing rebellions in Quepem. The BJP has decided to play a different game by fielding seven candidates – known BJP workers – under the banner of Quepem Development Front. The candidates in the panel haven’t been declared yet.
Meanwhile, most members of Curchorem Ravindra Bhavan have resigned as they are contesting the election. They include Cabral’s close aides Felix Fernandes, Dr Jasmine Braganza, Sarvanand Sawant Dessai and Jaykumar Khandekar.
