Panaji: The State Election Commission on Tuesday notified the reservation of wards for the elections to the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) which will be held next month.
As per the notification, out of 30 wards, 50 per cent of the wards have been reserved for different categories.
The notification issued by the Commissioner of State Election Commission Menino D’Souza revealed that 15 wards are open for general category candidates, six wards have been reserved for women, five wards have been reserved for other backward classes, three reserved for OBC women and one ward has been reserved for scheduled tribe woman candidate. The general category ward numbers are 4, 5, 7,9,10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 20, 24, 26, 28 and 30; wards reserved for women are 16,19,22, 23, 25 and 29; ward reserved for OBC are 6,14, 15, 21 and 27; ward reserved for OBC women are 2, 3 and 8, while ward No 1 has been reserved for ST woman.
Sources said that the Revenue Minister and Panaji MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate is likely to drop some of the present councillors from the list of candidates.
Besides some new faces, the list is likely to include a couple of former councillors or their relatives.
It is pertinent to note that Atanasio Monserrate has kept his hold on the city municipal corporation since 2005. His son Rohit Monserrate has been the city mayor for the last five years.
The Revenue Minister, a BJP MLA, will take a final call on the list of candidates to be backed by his panel, and there would hardly be any say of the party in candidate nomination.
Congress, Utpal Parrikar, son of former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar, and other Opposition parties have shown willingness to join hands to put up a join panel against Monserrate’s candidates.
