Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Mar 14: Supporters of the BJP-backed panel led by Atanasio 'Babush' Monserrate and the ‘Ami Panjekar’ panel of Utpal Parrikar gathered outside the counting centre on Friday morning amid tense anticipation as votes for the Panaji municipal elections were counted.
Groups of party workers waited anxiously in the heat, some holding marigold garlands in expectation of victory while others discussed possible leads and margins.
The morning proceedings briefly witnessed a disruption when a woman candidate, Sheetal Naik, fainted inside the counting centre around 8.25 am. Shortly afterwards, another person collapsed at the same location. Officials said the incidents were likely caused by people arriving without having breakfast amid rising temperatures.
As the results began to appear on the projector screen, Rohit Monserrate expressed confidence about returning as mayor for another term.
Out of the 30 candidates declared winners, 13 were women. Among them was BJP-backed candidate Yutika Zambaulikar, who won from Ward 1, a Scheduled Tribe (women) seat. At 24, she became the youngest member of the newly elected corporation. She said she hopes to focus on issues affecting women and encourage more young girls from marginalised communities to participate in politics.
Ami Panjekar representative Valmiki Naik attributed the panel’s defeat to the influence of money power, while Utpal Parrikar — son of former defence minister Manohar Parrikar — was not seen at the counting venue.
By around 12.30 pm, the mood outside the stadium shifted as the BJP-backed panel secured victories in 22 wards, prompting celebrations among supporters. Monserrate, who skipped the ongoing assembly session at Porvorim to join the gathering, arrived to celebrate with party workers even before results from the remaining wards were formally declared.
In a notable political moment, former Panaji mayor Uday Madkaikar, once a rival of Monserrate, joined hands with him for the election. The two were seen embracing after Madkaikar secured victory in his ward.
While the BJP-backed panel celebrated loudly, members of the Ami Panjekar panel marked their wins more quietly.