PANJIM: The embarrassment faced by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the time of elections of chairperson and vice chairperson for Curchorem-Cacora and Canacona municipal councils shows the internal simmerings within the BJP-backed councillors.
The BJP was most upbeat after the results of six municipalities and was poised to form councils in five municipal councils. But during the elections of chairperson and vice chairperson differences came to the fore in Canacona and Curchorem-Cacora municipal councils with councillors forming their own majority groups defying party decisions.
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In Canacona Municipal Council, all 12 newly elected councillors had said that they were supported by Canacona MLA and Deputy Speaker Isidore Fernandes and even accompanied him to Panjim where they met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, BJP State president Sadanand Shet Tanavade and other party leaders.
After returning home, some councillors formed their own group even as Fernandes was holding parleys to choose councillors for chairperson and vice chairperson’s post. When the group got a hint that Fernandes was trying to finalise Pandurang alias Dhiraj Naik Gaonkar and Supriya Dessai for the two posts, the rival group mustered majority and headed to Porvorim and met Fernandes, who was attending the Goa Assembly session.
The majority group also visited the Mallikarjun temple in the town and took oath to remain united and to share chairperson’s post among three councillors Simon Rebello, Ramakant Naik Gaonkar and Sara Naik Dessai,
Fernandes initially showed his resentment over their decision but agreed to accept their decision on condition that they belong to BJP. The rival group numbering seven councillors headed by former chairperson and councillor later left to an unknown destination fearing horse-trading by the government ahead of the elections to elect the chairperson and vice chairperson.
On the other hand Fernandes and BJP leaders scrambled for support to establish their majority in the civic body but in vain.
On the day of elections, Simon Rebello and Amita Pagi won the elections by polling seven votes while Dhiraj Naik Gaonkar and Supriya Dessai got five votes each.
Again the majority panel along with Fernandes went to Panjim and met party president Tanavade and other leaders and sought their support for the development of Canacona taluka.
While, returning home, the majority councillors met Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat and sought his support much to chagrin of the ruling BJP.
Most of the councillors of the ruling group were Congress loyalists but claim to be BJP supporters because they feared that the government may stall their development works in Canacona town.
When contacted, Fernandes claimed that 12 councillors were BJP supporters and the ruling group is also on record that they are backed by BJP.
The BJP leaders are unhappy over the happenings and it is now to be seen whether the BJP leaders will indulge in horse-trading and use money power to force councillors to switch sides.
In Curchorem-Cacora Municipal Council, BJP had claimed that nine of the 14 elected councillors were supported by them and that they will form the new council. But on the election day former chairpersons and councillors-elect Balkrishna alias Pinty Hodarkar and Vishwas Sawant filed their nominations for chairperson’s post.
Hodarkar shocked BJP when he was declared elected defeating Vishwas Sawant, who is also the president of Curchorem BJP Mandal by 8-7 votes. Hardly had Hodarkar assumed office, he was stunned to know that a no-confidence has been tabled against him by nine councillors.
As soon as news of Hodarkar’s election reached Curchorem MLA and Power Minister Nilesh Cabral, the latter seemed humiliated and immediately called all nine BJP-backed councillors and is learnt to have pulled them up for Sawant’s defeat. He then told them to sign a no-confidence notice against Hodarkar.
In the meantime, Rucha Vasta, who was declared elected vice chairperson unopposed resigned.
It now remains to be seen what strategy Hodarkar adopts to retain his post.
