Goa municipal council elections: Congress-GFP alliance bags Margao chief posts; Mapusa, Mormugao get BJP-backed head, deputies

Lyndon Pereira (L) and Deepali Sawal.

The Margao Municipal Council has got its new Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson who were backed by the Opposition alliance comprising Goa Forward Party and the Congress while the Mapusa and Mormugao Municipal councils have got BJP backed candidates as their heads.

GFP-backed Lyndon Pereira was elected chairperson while Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat-backed Deepali Sawal has been elected Vice-Chairperson of the Margao Municipal Council.

GFP President and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai congratulated the candidates. “At the Camara with @digambarkamat to personally wish Lyndon Pereira & Dipali Sawal of Margao Civic Alliance, elected unopposed as CP & VCP of MMC! The only civic body which through unity of major opposition parties triumphed over the money & muscle power of the ruling party!” said the former deputy CM.

At the Camara with @digambarkamat to personally wish Lyndon Pereira & Dipali Sawal of Margao Civic Alliance,elected unopposed as CP & VCP of MMC !The only civic body which through unity of major opposition parties triumphed over money & muscle power of the ruling party!#TeamGoa pic.twitter.com/IYIO8IS7Qx

— Vijai Sardesai (@VijaiSardesai) May 27, 2021

Lyndon and Deepali were elected unopposed. In 2015 as well, the Margao Civic Alliance of GFP-Congress had won the Margao. However, the alliance fell midway after Goa Forward Party extended its support to the then Manohar Parrikar-led BJP government after the 2017 assembly election. However, the current Chief Minister Pramod Sawant could not keep the NDA united and the GFP parted ways with the BJP. Both Congress and the GFP came together again this year before the municipal polls to keep the BJP at bay and succeeded in Margao. The BJP could only win 7 seats of the 25-member civic body.

In Mapusa Municipal Council, BJP-backed candidates Shubhangi Vaigankar and Shekar Benkar have been elected chairperson and vice-chairperson respectively. They were elected unopposed.

Meanwhile, in a boost to the ruling BJP, three Mapusa councillors – two independents and one backed by MGP joined the saffron party on Tuesday. The independent councillors, Tarak Arolkar of ward 7 and Vikas Arolkar of ward 16, and MGP-backed Viraj Phadke of ward 8 joined the BJP at the party’s North Goa office.

“Mapusa Municipal Council elected Councillors Adv Tarak Arolkar Mr. Vikas Arolkar and Mr. Viraj Balu Fadke officially joined @BJP4Goa in presence of CM @DrPramodPSawant Ji, My best wishes to them and I am confident their support and inclusion in the #BJP will strengthen our party,” said BJP Goa President Sadanand Shet Tanavade welcoming the leaders.

Mapusa Municipal Council elected Councillors Adv Tarak Arolkar Mr. Vikas Arolkar and Mr. Viraj Balu Fadke officially joined @BJP4Goa in presence of CM @DrPramodPSawant Ji, My best wishes to them and I am confident their support and inclusion in the #BJP will strengthen our party. pic.twitter.com/wBzfCg4OJo

— SADANAND SHET TANAVADE सदानंद शेट तानावडे (@ShetSadanand) May 26, 2021

In Mormugao, Damodar Kaskar was declared chairperson and Shradha Mahale as a Vice-Chairperson of the municipal council. They were also elected unopposed. The BJP had won 19 of 25 wards at MMC and has the support of two independent candidates.