Julio D’Silva
Most of the MLAs have stayed away from the panchayat elections preferring to adopt the stand “whoever wins is my pancha” although some have got actively involved and even fielded their own panel.
“How can one stay away from panchayat elections,” asked Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro who admitted that he has his panel in different panchayats and claimed that his panel has already grabbed the Telaulim panchayat where two of his candidates were declared elected unopposed.
Besides, he was confident of his panel winning the Aquem Baixo panchayat and added that he has great hold in the Housing Board area which would influence the voting pattern at Davorlim Rumdamoll and Davorlim Dicarpale panchayats.
He admitted that there are problems in some wards were his supporters are contesting against each other. “What can one do in such circumstances especially when they come and tell you that they are supporting me but will contest against each other at the panchayat elections?” he said.
However Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco representing Curtorim constituency has a totally different view and has stayed away from the panchayat elections. “We need new leaders and panchayats is the place where we can get them,” he said stating that he has stayed away so that the new leadership may emerge by itself.
Cuncolim MLA Clafasio Dias has put up candidates in the villages in Salcete in his constituency. However, he is facing a tough time as in many wards his supporters are contesting against each other thereby improving the chances of the opposition to victory.
This problem is faced in Chandor-Cavorim and Guirdolim village panchayats particularly. In Guirdolim in three wards Clafasio’s supporters are contesting against each other. In Chandor-Cavorim in ward Nos. 1 and 4, the leading candidates are Clafasio’s supporters or those claiming to have been asked to contest by him.
In fact, the problem was so acute that Clafasio went to Vailankanni with his family to keep away from these pressures and returned to Goa only after the last day for withdrawal was over. Clafasio had to be prepared for the worse following the the death of (his sure candidate) Joaquim Peixote in Chandor.
In Velim constituency, the new MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues has stayed away from the elections completely just like his colleague Reginaldo in Curtorim. In fact, he is presently out of station and could not be contacted.
Although some of the Congress members are actively involved in the panchayat elections especially at Chinchinim-Deusua, Dramapur-Sirlim and Assolna, they are all contesting in their individual capacity and not being backed by Filipe.
