No alliance with MGP for Sanquelim, Ponda civic polls: BJP

PANAJI: For the Sanquelim and Ponda municipal council elections, BJP has decided not to forge any pre-poll alliance with MGP, despite the party being its coalition partner in the state cabinet.
The Sanquelim municipal council is the lone municipality in chief minister Pramod Sawant’s constituency, and the elections will be a litmus test for Sawant. BJP has appointed its state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade to oversee the Sanquelim municipal polls.
“We will win the Sanquelim municipal council,” Sawant said, exuding confidence, which Tanavade reiterated by saying that BJP will win both the municipal elections and that too “on our own strength”.
The Sanquelim constituency is presently controlled by the Congress-backed Dharmesh Saglani panel. In the 2022 assembly election, Sawant defeated Saglani, who was the Congress candidate. Sawant has been aiming to retain the lone municipal council in his constituency, which Congress has been able to dominate most times.
Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar will look after the Ponda municipal polls. Political commentators said that it will be interesting to see if civil supplies minister Ravi Naik manages to retain the Ponda municipal council.
On BJP’s decision to go to the polls independently, Tanavade said: “Our alliance with MGP is post-assembly elections, and we will go independently (for the Sanquelim and Ponda municipal elections). When we have won both the assembly constituencies, why do we need an alliance?”
Both the municipal councils go to the polls on May 5, with counting on May 7. Around 25,000 electorates will exercise their franchise to elect 12 councillors for Sanquelim and 15 for Ponda, respectively.
The model code of conduct is in force as of Saturday in the areas under the jurisdiction of these councils. The maximum limit of total expenses for a candidate is fixed at Rs 2 lakh. The election will not be held along party lines.
On the first day of nominations, not a single candidate filed his or her papers.