Team Goemkarponn
Vasco: A no-confidence motion passed against Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) vice chairperson Ramchandra Kamat on Friday has triggered a fresh controversy, with dissenting councillors alleging serious procedural lapses and warning of an impending legal challenge, casting a shadow over the functioning of the civic body.
The special council meeting, convened to consider the motion, quickly descended into disorder as councillors aligned with the Milind Naik panel objected to the very validity of the proceedings. Despite protests and a walkout by some members, the motion was carried with 13 councillors voting against Kamat in the 25-member council.
At the heart of the dispute was the no-confidence motion letter, which Kamat’s supporters claimed was submitted in the name of a non-existent councillor. The letter reportedly mentioned “Ameya Naik,” a name not found in the official list of MMC councillors, prompting objections that the process was fundamentally flawed and legally untenable.
Responding to the allegation during the meeting, councillor Ameya Chopdekar clarified that he had moved the motion and that his surname was erroneously written as Naik due to a clerical mistake. He asserted that the letter carried his correct signature and that the error did not invalidate the motion.
MMC chairperson Girish Borker ruled in favour of continuing the proceedings, stating that the explanation was satisfactory. Councillors aligned with different BJP leaders — including Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar, former MLA Carlos Almeida, and Minister Mauvin Godinho — went on to support the motion. Borker later maintained that the procedure was fair and transparent and that the motion was passed unanimously by those present.
Kamat, however, alleged that the move was politically motivated and executed under pressure from senior party leaders. He claimed several councillors had privately admitted they were compelled to vote against him. Pointing out that the vice chairperson holds limited authority when a chairperson is in office, Kamat dismissed the allegations against him as baseless and insisted that the meeting should have been cancelled and reconvened after the mandatory cooling-off period.
Backing Kamat, advocate and councillor Kunali Parsekar questioned the legality of the meeting itself, arguing that an elected chairperson lacks statutory authority to preside over a no-confidence motion in such circumstances. She further contended that a motion submitted by an “unknown or wrongly identified person” should not have been admitted at all.
Councillors Damodar Naik, Damodar Kaskar, Prajay Mayekar and Leo Rodrigues also rallied behind Kamat and announced plans to approach the court, signalling that the political standoff within the MMC is likely to move into the legal arena.
The episode has once again highlighted deep internal divisions within the ruling BJP at the civic level, raising concerns over governance stability at the Mormugao Municipal Council.
