Digambar Kamat-backed candidate loses mayoral election

Kamat defected to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with seven other Congress lawmakers on Wednesday

Former Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat-backed Damodar Shirodkar lost the election to Margao Municipal Council’s mayoral post two days after the former defected to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with seven other Congress lawmakers.

Former Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat. (ANI)

Damodar Shirodkar also had the backing of the BJP. He lost to Ganashyam Shirodkar with support from Vijai Sardesai’s Goa Forward Party. Damodar Shirodkar got 10 votes and Ganashyam Shirodkar 15.

Sardesai and Kamat, who is from Margao, joined hands two years back and defeated the BJP. As per an understanding, Kamat and Sardesai camps agreed to share the post for half the term each. Sardesai camp’s mayor quit the post before Kamat’s defection. Both camps fielded their candidates for fresh polls.

“May our belief in God and in the people be unshakable. No God will justify immorality and wrongdoing; no people who believe in #democracy will allow their politics to be vilified by the filthy model that the ruling party [BJP] practices. Margao will be the cradle of a revolution,” the Goa Forward Party said in a tweet, referring to the defections.

Congress said the result reflected the sentiments of Goa’s people. “Once again it is proved that the mandate is against anti-democratic BJP. I congratulate all the 15 councillors who voted against the BJP-backed candidate and showed their commitment to democracy,” state Congress chief Amit Patkar said.