PANAJI: Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate, whose panel swept the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) polls on Monday, thanked BJP karyakartas for helping him win, and also urged his detractors, including former MLA Sidharth Kuncalienker, to work with him.
Monserrate made it amply clear that he had no intention of allowing any other person to contest the Panaji assembly seat. Monserrate went to the extent of asking his critics within the BJP to “stand and clap” for him, as not everyone can be given a chance to contest elections.
“This panel is a BJP panel and credit goes to the party. The party played a major role,” said Monserrate. “Our main aim is Panaji first. Everything needs to be sorted out.”
When asked who he would nominate as mayor, Monserrate said that the decision would be taken by the party. He was non-committal when asked if his son Rohit, who won from ward number 3, would be named mayor.
Monserrate said that although 50% of BJP karyakartas worked against him, he would try and ensure that for the 2022 assembly election, he has the full support of the karyakartas. Monserrate’s move to sideline senior BJP karyakartas and councillors rankled some of the old guard, who overtly and covertly come out in support of the We Ponjekar panel.
Kuncalieker has been missing from the scene in BJP’s campaign for the civic polls, while former spokesperson Dattaprasad Naik openly came out against Monserrate. The Panaji MLA had defeated Kuncalienker in the 2019 Panaji by-elections as a Congress candidate, but quickly switched over the BJP along with nine other Congress MLAs. Monserrate’s entry into BJP has been a sore point for many staunch BJP workers, particularly die-hard supporters of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar or those very close to Kuncalienker.
“All are not winners. Somebody has to stand and clap as. BJP cannot nominate three candidates for the assembly elections. There is just one, so I push forward and appeal to everyone to work together,” said Monserrate.
The MLA was so dismissive of the BJP rebels, that he refused to even give them credit for losing in five wards.
“I don’t give any credit as far as rebels are concerned. It is my fault that I did not campaign hard enough in the five seats that we lost,” Monserrate said.