Dr Babita Angle and councillor Tito Cardozo are expected to be the main stay faces of the Fatorda Forward ward that will be announced on Wednesday by Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai.
While Sardesai had already indirectly criticised the group councillors he had backed during the last municipal council elections, this time the first time MLA is looking at backing fresh faces for the elections.
“Our panel will have 99% new faces. That means out of the 12 candidates, there will be 11 new faces,” said Sardesai.
While he did not reveal any of his candidates names except for Dr Babita Angle, who will be contesting from ward 6 that has been reserved for ladies, it is well known that the son of former Fatorda MLA Luiz Alex ‘Mama’ Cardozo , -Florenco ‘Tito’ Cardozo will also be named on his panel.
The selection of Dr Angle, who has addressed public rallies recently for the Lok Sabha Elecitons when Sardesai backed Congress candidate and Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco will be interesting given Babita’s prominence in society. While Reginaldo is also an MLA who has a stake in the MMC elections, it also remains to be seen how Congress and the Sardesai camp team up given Sardesai’s close proximity to Digambar Kamat.
“Every person of our panel age is less than 50 years and this is based on the concept that 65 percent of the Indian voters are from the age of 18-45 and we need young Indians and smart people for smart cities,” added Sardesai
Sardesai also made serious charges against the BJP for allegedly manipulating the delimitation and reservation process claiming that it was aimed at subjugating the catholic community.
“From the 12 wards of Margao falling in Fatorda, 9 wards have Hindu majority and only 3 wards have a Catholic majority. But I have given 9 tickets to Catholics and gone out of the way to over represent the minority community,” said Sardesai.
