Election fever seems to have gripped the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) Ward 21 with the campaigning for bye-election scheduled on October 23, going on in full swing.
Women candidates of Margao Development Front, Model Margao and Shadow Council for Margao are leaving no stone unturned by canvassing aggressively with their door-to-door visits.
It may be recalled that following the tragic death of ward 21 councillor Ashlesha Naik, the seat fell vacant. The ward was reserved for women during the last elections. The BJP-backed Margao Development Front has fielded Sucorina Fernandes, while the Digambar-backed Model Margao has Deepa Shirodkar as its candidate and the Shadow Council for Margao has fielded Sonali Kale.
The Shadow Council for Margao, which has been raising several issues related to the MMC, has called upon the citizens of Margao to make the ward 21 bye-election a ‘Referendum’ against the MMC’s “anti-people” policies.
A confident Sonali said if elected, she would make it a point to visit each and every household in the ward and would highlight all the issues of she promised while contesting the elections.
Meanwhile, Model Margao’s Deepa if elected wants to carry on the service of husband, Damu Shirodkar, who was the then ward 21 councillor. Deepa has left it for the people to decide on what’s best for them.
She said, “I won’t make promises to people and not waste time on manifesting my plans. I would like to say that my work will speak for me in the upcoming elections”.
Deepa has also claimed that the work carried out by her husband in the ward in the past is a boost to her in the upcoming election.
Sucorina Fernandes of the BJP-backed Margao Development Front is campaigning in the ward in full swing. In her manifesto titled “Bound Towards The Empowerment Of Women & Society” Sucorina says, “Let us all join hands to make our ward a ‘model’ for others to follow and make our Ward No 21 a better place to live in instead of chaos, garbage and filth.” Sucorina says, “Emphasis on “No Plastic Ward” will be laid.
Meanwhile, Sonali Kale says she has decided to have a low profile campaign without using unfair practices including hiring of supporters. “The manner in which huge amount of money is spent during campaigning makes me wonder about the practices that shall be adopted to recover the same,” Sonali added.
“It is not important, just to be a nominee of a national party to contest a municipal election. It is equally important to understand the issues plaguing the town and spell out the will to raise your voice against them,” she asserted. Sonali says she is committed to fight for an unbiased system of levying the waste collection fees, wants to streamline the irregular waste collection system and tackle the stray dogs menace .
