FOGG also feels Panaji election action sends 'wrong signal'
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 20 March 2013 20:51 IST
Girish Sardesai with Manohar Parrikar
Friends of Good Governance (FOGG), a citizens’ group supporting the BJP group in the City Corporation of Panaji, has also termed the action of postponing elections of Mayor and Deputy Mayor as a “wrong signal”.
Though FOGG has taken a guarded position on the development in the CCP, it has come out clearly on the alleged political aspect of it.
FOGG president Girish Sardesai said: “if the decision was taken with the aim to interfere with the outcome of the results, as has been alleged by the opposition, we at FOGG believe that it is sending a wrong signal and setting a bad precedent”.
However, before making this statement, Sardesai said that the FOGG does not have a detailed reaction from the government as yet and as such it is not in a position to comment on it.
According to the Director of Municipal Administration, the elections of Mayor and Deputy Mayor were postponed in view of suggestions made by some citizens that both the posts be reserved for SC, ST or the OBC.
Presently, there is no such provision in the CCP Act.
While chief minister Manohar Parrikar plans to amend the act in the ongoing Assembly session, the Babush Monseratte-led group has alleged that the action is politically motivated.
As BJP supporter Vaidehi Naik’s term came to an end today, the Babush supported Congress group turned the tables against the ruling party by supporting independent Surendra Furtado as the new Mayor.
Furtado, who had earlier supporter the BJP group, jumped the side claiming that Parrikar had retracted on his assurance to make him the Mayor for one year, from today.
