Team Herald
VASCO: The Vasco Development Front (VDF), supported by industrialist Narayan Bandekar and backed by political leaders, announced the list of candidates who will contest the municipal elections in Vasco, Dabolim and Mormugao wards.
While Bandekar has decided to support many new faces, the VDF list so far does not include any councillor of the recent term. However, many of these councillors still claim that they have received the blessings of ‘Nana’ and that they belong to VDF.
VDF sources disclosed that Bandekar has entrusted NCP State president Jose Philip D’Souza and Advocate Ashok Naik with the responsibility of selecting and ensuring victory for candidates from Vasco and Dabolim respectively. Congress leader Sankalp Amonkar has been given responsibility of all nine wards of Mormugao.
Bandekar’s nine candidates for Vasco and Dabolim wards are: Riyaz Kadri (Ward 10), Prashant Naik (Ward 12), Naresh Naik (Ward 15), Divya Chari (Ward 16), Vishal Naik (Ward 19), Manisha Simepurushkar (Ward 20), Hemant Shetgaonkar (Ward 22), Viraj Bandekar (Ward 23) and Gracious Coutinho (Ward 25).
The nine candidates for Mormugao wards are: Sandesh Mesta (Ward 1), Rohini Parab (Ward 2), Xencor Polgi (Ward 3), Avinash Naik (Ward 4), Manisha Girap (Ward 5), Sachin Bhagat (Ward 6), Shradha Amonkar (Ward 7), Murari Bandekar (Ward 8), and Sebistiao Domingos D’Souza (Ward 9).
Plaint against administrator
MARGAO: Talewada-Shirvoi residents have filed a complaint against a comunidade administrator for threatening to demolish their houses if they do not vote for his wife in the Quepem municipal elections. The complaint was registered with the Quepem returning officer and chief officer on Saturday. The locals have also demanded the immediate transfer of the “unscrupulous” officer.
According to the complaint, the accused Subodh Shirwaikar is a comunidade attorney, while his wife Suchita Shirwaikar is the present councillor of their ward. They alleged that Subodh, on Saturday night, had threatened to demolish the houses of voters that are on comunidade land.
The residents also stated that Subodh cannot indulge in election campaigns as he is a government officer and demanded his transfer to North Goa until the elections are over.
“If the officer continues to campaign and pressurise the voters, the people will gherao him in his cabin, and they shouldn’t be held responsible for their actions,” read the complaint, which was signed by 35 residents of Talewada-Shirvoi.
When asked about the complaint, Quepem Deputy Collector Shankar Gaonkar said, “I have asked the Quepem chief officer to conduct an inquiry and take action against the accused.”
