City erupts in revelry with Babush panel win

Panaji: Outside the counting centre on Friday morning, clusters of BJP workers backing Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate’s panel and supporters of Utpal Parrikar’s ‘Ami Panjekar’ panel gathered in small groups with nervous energy.

Some clutched marigold garlands, others whispered calculations of leads and margins. None wavered amid the scorching heat.The morning, however, quickly turned challenging. At around 8.25am, a medical emergency briefly disrupted proceedings when a woman candidate, Sheetal Naik, fainted inside the counting centre. Minutes later, another person collapsed at the same spot. The incidents were attributed to people arriving without breakfast amid the rising heat.

As the final numbers flashed across the projector screen, Rohit Monserrate appeared confident in his win and vowed to return as mayor for another term.Of the 30 winning candidates, 13 women emerged victorious. Among them was BJP-backed candidate Yutika Zambaulikar, who secured victory in ward 1, an ST (woman) seat, becoming the youngest member of the new corporation at just 24 years of age. “I intend to take up women-centric issues so that I can serve as inspiration for many young girls from marginalised communities to join politics,” she said.

Dejected Ami Panjekar representative, Valmiki Naik, attributed the panel’s loss to money power, while Utpal Parrikar, son of former defence minister Manohar Parrikar was not in sight. By around 12.30pm, the atmosphere outside the stadium shifted dramatically as the day’s emerging victories triggered celebrations. By this time, the Babush panel won seats in 22 wards. Skipping the ongoing assembly session at Porvorim to join the celebrations even before results from the remaining wards were officially declared, Babush joined his supporters as garlands were exchanged and victory signs flashed through the crowd.Once rivals, former mayor Uday Madkaikar and Babush joined hands for this election, and embraced after Madkaikar won from his ward.In contrast to the louder celebrations of the BJP-backed panel, members of the Ami Panjekar panel marked their victories more quietly.