-- Samir Umarye Bicholim: The panel supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged victorious at the Sakhali municipal council (SMC) elections, with its candidates winning six of the 11 seats the results of which were declared on Monday.
The Congress supported panel has won only four seats. One seat was won by an independent candidate who has declared his support to the BJP. Sakhali MLA Pramod Sawant in his statement to local reporters said, "Now the SMC will be ruled by BJP since it has won 6 out of 11 seats, besides gaining support from an independent candidate Dharmesh Saglani from ward no 4." Former Sakhali MLA Pratap Gawas stated that if the independent councillor and one opposition councillor join hands with Congress, then Congress hold on the council will continue. The winning BJP candidates include Upendra Karpe (ward-3), Narayan Relekar (ward-6), Nisha Pokle (ward-8), Dayanand Boryekar (ward-9), Damodar Ghadi (ward-10) and Dishjta Naik (ward-11). The winning Congress candidates include Kunda Madkar (ward-1), Rashmi Desai (ward-2), Vibha Desai (ward-5) and Riyaz Khan (ward-7). Dharmesh Saglani was the independent candidate from ward no 4. Among the BJP candidates, all six were new faces while in Congress party only three winners were new faces with former SMC chairperson Riyaz Khan emerging victorious. The prominent losers in the Congress party were Laxmanrao Desai, Pooja Dangi and Aarti Naik. Former sarpanch Pravin Blaggon was a prominent candidate who lost this election.(ToI)