Team Herald
PANJIM: Sons of two Ministers now heading the local-self bodies as city fathers.
Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, who has controlled the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) since its first election, last year installed his elder son Rohit as the Mayor.
On Wednesday Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik, who earlier struggled to make his son Ritesh Naik as the chairperson of Ponda Municipal Council, found success within a fortnight of becoming Minister. Ritesh, who was defeated two years ago, was elected chairperson unopposed for the remainder of the 14 months of the current term.
In 2020, Ravi had made attempts to get his son elected as the Ponda chairperson when Ritesh and two other Congress-backed councillors Anand Naik and William Aguiar joined the BJP when Ravi was still with the Congress. He later joined the BJP.
At that time there was speculation that after joining the BJP, Ritesh would be rewarded with the Ponda Municipal Council’s chairperson’s post and an Assembly ticket to either contest from Marcaim or Ponda constituency. However, nothing materialised.
More ministers’ sons may be getting rewarded. On Monday, North Goa Zilla Panchayat (ZP) Adhyaksh Karthik Kudnekar was asked to resign reportedly to pave the way for Siddhesh Naik, son of Union Minister Shripad Naik, to take over.
Many politicians in Goa have been reposing their faith in their offspring as their successors rather than choosing second rung leaders. However, some politicians were not lucky to create niche among the voters.
