MARGAO
Congress-turned-BJP MLA Digambar Kamat’s man Friday, two-time Margao councillor Damu Shirodkar seemed to have emerged as a strong contender for the vacant post of Margao municipal chairperson.
Damu, who celebrated his birthday on Monday, appears ready to take a shot at the goal, a day after Kamat successfully checkmated the rival camp headed by Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai to pave way for the return of the BJP rule in the municipal body.
Damu’s rival in the BJP camp, senior councillor Sadanand Naik, who had last month staked his claim for the coveted post, given his seniority in the civic body, seemed resigned to his fate in the unfolding political developments with the Margao MLA in full control of the situation and expected to bat for his right-hand man.
Damu had suffered an embarrassing defeat in the September 16 election for the Margao civic chief when he lost the battle to Goa Forward-backed Independent Ganashyam Shirodkar by 10-15 votes, a defeat attributed to cross-voting by the BJP-backed councillors.
That Kamat is set to nominate Damu again for the coveted post in the October 12 poll for the civic chief indicates that the Margao MLA is out to prove a point or two to the opposition that he means business.
Sources close to Sadanand Naik, whose wife Babita is also a member of the 25-member civic body, said that the senior councillor seemed to have decided to go by the wish of the party leadership on the question of zeroing in on the candidate for the coveted post. Sadanand had last month asserted that given his seniority in the party as well as that he is a four-time councillor, the party should nominate him for the post. Incidentally, councillor Damu Shirodkar has embraced the BJP only a day ago on Sunday along with seven other municipal councillors aligned to the Margao MLA.
