MARGAO: Councillors supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress came together but were not able to stop the Fatorda Forward candidate from taking over the reins of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC).
Pooja Naik a first-time councillor was elected chairperson by a margin of just one vote. Naik managed 13 votes, while Dorris Texeira, who was backed by the Congress group, polled 12 votes.
The election process began at 11.30am and ended by 1pm. All the councillors of Model Margao backed by Congress, BJP backed councillors, and the Fatorda Forward group backed by Goa Forward and Independent councillors were present for the meeting.
The Fatorda Forward panel has 12 councillors, including one independent. The councillor earlier with the BJP, Raju Hadlee Shirodkar, extended support to Naik. Shirodkar shifting from the opposition camp and voting for Naik worked to her advantage.
Texeira, on the other hand, had the support of six of her Congress-backed councillors. The BJP-supported panel did not reveal their stand till the last moment, but ultimately backed Texeira.
Texeira, speaking to the media said that she accepts defeat and stated that she will keep working for the development of Margao.
The new chairperson said, “Administration section will be our first priority and the garbage issue will be solved with the support of all our councillors.”
GFP chief Vijai Sardesai, who was present, said, “We have defeated the immoral and illegitimate marriage of convenience trying to subjugate regionalist leaders and parties who take up Goa centric issues.”
