log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY MARCH 14, 2026 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 15 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 265 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 5 3 BJP’s Babush-led panel scores landslide win at CCP elections Govt mulls direct recruitment in vigilance, panel to review cases GOA Gas panic triggers doorstep delivery controversy LIFE Redefining the dream: Rise of the Goan ‘returnee’  BAGS 27 OF 30 WARDS  FURTADO'S 7-TERM WINNING STREAK ENDS  SUKHIJA WINS BY JUST 2-VOTE MARGIN THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) elections delivered a decisive verdict on Friday with the panel backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Babush Monserrate winning 27 of the 30 wards, reaffirming the Panaji MLA's grip on the capital’s civic body. The rival Ami Panjekar panel, backed by Utpal Parrikar, managed to win only three seats with even its mayoral candidate and veteran councillor Surendra Furtado, was defeated. Furtado, who has served seven terms, had never lost a civic election since he had first got elected as councillor of the then Panjim Municipal Council in 1985. He lost to BJP-Babush panel's Kabhir Makhija in Ward 9. There was however consolation for the Furtados with Leonido Furtado, winning comfortably in Ward 7. Counting began on Friday at 8 am at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium and ear- The contest in ward 17 turned out to be a cliff-hanger. Jack Sukhija, a scion of Goa's iconic yesteryear political figure Dr Jack de Sequeira, ended with a slender 3-vote lead after the first count. His opponent Edward Jorge, the incumbent councillor then sought a recount which was granted. In two recounts, one additional vote was declared invalid and Sukhija was declared winner with a 2-vote margin securing 343 votes to Jorge's 341. Babush's five-in-arow win POWER TO RECKON WITH: A triumphant Atanasio Babush Monserrate along with supporters and winning candidates from his panel after the results were declared on Friday. (Detailed result on page 3) Narayan Pissurlenkar ly trends pointed to a Babush sweep. By 12:30 pm, most of his candidates were declared winners. Voting had taken place on March 11. The turnout stood at 69.07 percent, slightly lower than the previous election in 2021. The Ami Panjekar panel had campaigned on issues linked to casinos, while Babush’s team highlighted development works carried out over the past five years. Recounts in 3 wards Recounts were sought and held in three wards -- 10, 17, and 29. After the process, Prasad Amonkar (Ward 10), Jack Sukhija (Ward 17), and Liberta Mendes (Ward 29) were confirmed as winners. Incidentally, this is the fifth successive time that Monserrate has managed to win a CCP election since the capital city's civic body was upgraded to a Corporation from the erstwhile Panjim Municipal Council in the early 2000s. In the first CCP election held in 2006, he won a majority of the wards in the 30-member Corporation. Next he repeated the performance in 2011. During both these elections, he was with the Congress as >Continued on P10 7 SPORTS All-round Sadaqat levels series for Pakistan 15 Verdict a reality check for Utpal’s 2027 political plan Underscores challenges of building a base THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The sweeping victory of the BJP-backed Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate’s panel in the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) elections on Friday has delivered a sharp blow to Utpal Parrikar’s political ambitions in 2027. For the son of the late Manohar Parrikar, the outcome is a sobering reminder of the challenges of building a base in Panaji and a reality check of sorts. Monserrate’s team captured 27 of the 30 wards, leaving the Ami Panjekar panel, which Utpal backed, with just three. Also, except for Liberta Mendes e Achari (Ribandar's Ward 29), the other two victors are not really from the Parrikar stable. Leonido Furtado who won Ward 7 is the son of Congress' Surendra Furtado and Jack Sukhija who won Ward 17 is an AAP leader and heads the party in Panaji. Utpal had sought to carve out his own space, positioning himself as a challenger to Babush’s grip. His campaign leaned on issues such as casino-related problems, hoping to tap into public dis- content. Yet voters were more persuaded by Babush’s narrative of development and continuity. The setback is particularly striking given Utpal’s performance in the 2022 Assembly election. Contesting as an independent, he had run Babush close, finishing runner-up and falling short by just 700-odd votes. That spirited fight had raised hopes of a new political chapter for him. The CCP verdict, however, shows how difficult it is to sustain momentum without organizational muscle and grassroots machinery. The defeat of Surendra Furtado, a seven-time councillor and Utpal’s mayoral hopeful, further weakened the challenge. Even seasoned candidates could not withstand the Babush-led political juggernaut on the electoral battlefield. The BJP’s strategic backing of Monserrate has also tilted the scales. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant hailed the mandate as a vote for development, signaling where the party’s weight lies and Utpal, despite his lineage and past performance, finds himself politically isolated. The verdict marks a pause in Utpal's bid to establish himself as a credible political entity in the capital city and imbibe his iconic father's legacy. It is not just an electoral defeat -- it is a reality check that legacy and ambition alone cannot substitute for ground-level strength and voter connect.