Goemkarponn desk
MAPUSA: Mapusa is the commercial capital of North, yet the city has failed to see a notable development since liberation.
Be it roads, market complex, bus stand, sewerage, traffic congestion, illegal shops, footpath, encroachments or planning, you name it, and the answer is only one – BAD.
Nonetheless, the Mapusa constituency has been the den of Francis D’Souza since 1999, and after his death in 2019, his son Joshua D’Souza was elected due to sympathy.
However, now in 2022, the situation could be different.
There is no Francis D “Souza now, and his son Joshua does not seem to enjoy the same support and respect which his father did in the constituency.
People have now started talking about the development after looking at the neighbouring constituency of Calangute, Porvorim.
To make matters worse, Francis D’Souza’s close confidante Sudhir Kandolkar is now against Joshua.
Kandolkar contested against Joshua in 2019 by-polls, but he could not get over the sympathy factor.
Moreover, Kandolkar now has the support of the Minister for Waste Management, Ports and RDA Michael Lobo, who has openly announced his backing for the candidate.
In 2019, Joshua D’Souza won Mapusa by-election in Goa and retained his father Francis D’Souza’s seat for the last 20 years by a slender margin of just 880 votes.
Joshua got 10,440 votes, while Congress’ Sudhir received 9,560 votes.
So the difference is not much, Kandolkar just has to work for 500 votes more, and he is through.
The question now arises which ticket Kandolkar would contest on. Last time he had contested on Congress’ ticket.
There were rumours of Kandolkar joining BJP, which he has rejected.
There are other players too in Mapusa like Vijay Bhike, MGP’s Vinod Phadke etc., but it looks like a straight fight between Kandolkar and Joshua.
However, to Joshua’s bad luck, he hasn’t been able to carry out development due to the COVID19 pandemic. Out of 2.5 years, almost 18 months have gone in the lockdowns and restrictions.
Mapusa and development has no relation?
Mapusa has been crying for development, narrow roads, traffic congestion, new market, and new bus stand for decades now.
However, no leader has been able to resolve these issues.
For the namesake, the Dr Pramod Sawant government has constructed a small bus shade for private buses, which isn’t used by anyone. The private buses continue to park opposite Mapusa taxi stand, which cause major traffic jams in the evening.
The narrow roads in the city is another big issue. The locals have been demanding the bus stand should be out of the city so that all vehicles use the National Highway directly and do not cause traffic issues.
The people have also been demanding a proper new market for Mapusa on the lines of Panaji and Margao.
The leaders have been giving assurances but failed to implement them.
During the municipal polls earlier this year, the BJP-backed Mapusa Development Front panel, in its manifesto for the upcoming municipality elections in Mapusa, has proposed constructing a Ravindra Bhavan, tar bridge, new bus stand and also put a new sewerage system in place for the town.
The panel’s manifesto was released by former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar in BJP state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade, Mapusa MLA Joshua D’Souza, Aldona MLA Glenn Ticlo and other party functionaries.
D’Souza & Mapusa politics…
Francis D’Souza has been in Mapusa politics since 1985.
D’Souza was first elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly in 1999 as the Goa Rajiv Congress Party’s candidate and later in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017 as the BJP candidate from the Mapusa constituency.
He was appointed Deputy Chief Minister when BJP formed a government in 2012 under Manohar Parrikar’s leadership and remained Deputy Chief Minister when Laxmikant Parsekar became the Chief Minister. He was also the front-runner to succeed Manohar Parrikar as the chief minister.
D’Souza died on 14 February 2019 at the age of 64 following a battle with cancer.
However, even though D’Souza was elected to Goa Legislative Assembly, he was in Mapusa politics since 1985 when he was first elected as the Councillor of Mapusa Municipal Council.
In 1986-1988 – President of Mapusa Municipal Council and in 1995 – Elected as the Councillor of Mapusa Municipal Council from 1998-2000 he was the Chairman of Mapusa Municipal Council.
