the goan I network
MARGAO
Pragmatism may take precedence over party symbol in minority-dominated Zilla Panchayat seats in Salcete’s countryside as the BJP leadership appears to have decided to see reason and allow Congress-turned-BJP MLAs, Fisheries Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues and Wilfred D’Sa, to field candidates as Independents instead of the party Lotus symbol.
With as many as six out of the nine Zilla Panchayat seats at stake in Salcete, represented by Filipe Neri and Wilfred, which may make or mar the prospects of political parties in their bid to control the South Goa Zilla Panchayat body, and the rival Congress bracing up to make a clean sweep in Salcete, the BJP leadership seems to have settled for a pragmatic approach than prestige in the minority-dominated ZP seats in Salcete.
If sources in the BJP are to be believed, both Filipe Neri and his Nuvem counterpart Wilfred need not field candidates on the party Lotus symbol as realisation has dawned in the saffron camp that the party can win a couple of seats from Salcete as Independents backed by the party-MLAs than vice versa.
Sources close to the two MLAs informed that the party has almost given them the go-ahead signal to shortlist candidates to contest the ensuing ZP polls as Independents.
Taken together, around six out of the nine ZP seats in Salcete come under the two Assembly constituencies of Velim and Nuvem. Take the case of Velim Assembly seat represented by Filipe Neri. Minority-dominated villages coming under Velim constituency are part of as many as three Zilla Panchayat seats, including Curtorim, Chinchinim and Navelim. Sources in the know say that the BJP leadership has realised that fielding candidates on the party banner may do more harm than good in the ensuing polls. Instead, party leadership feels that fielding Independents supported by the minister can help checkmate the Congress
and even win these seats.
The situation in Nuvem, represented by MLA Wilfred is no different. Villages coming under Nuvem constituency are all part of the ZP seats of Nuvem, Colva and Raia, which coincidentally are all minority-dominated. Sources in the know said the two MLAs are believed to have made the party leadership to see reason that it would be pointless to field candidates on the party banner in these minority strongholds, which had in the past hardly voted for the Lotus symbol.
