Goa Panchayat polls: Two specially-abled candidates all set to contest

National

Two candidates with special needs are slated to run in the next Goa panchayat elections, in what appears to be a first-of-its-kind initiative.

Domingo wants to make life easier for others as he can’t visit the local panchayat in Velsao because of his crutches. He fights every minute to make ends meet while engaged in a court dispute with his neighbour over the construction of a fence on Domingo’s route, which has kept him out of work for the past two years. Every day to support his family, Domingo could be seen driving a three-wheeler full of local fisherwomen to the Margao market.

Domingo is currently totally reliant on the government’s monthly stipend and spending a lot of time getting ready for the forthcoming elections. Krunal Kiran Thakur is another unusual example. Thakur, a student, is in a wheelchair and is only 21 years old. Being a law student in his final year from the hamlet of Arambol in North Goa, he seeks to resolve villagers’ everyday issues. The young law student has greater ambitions and wants to make sure that individuals with disabilities can achieve great things as well, whether it be addressing issues like the lack of water or elevating his town.

Voting will take place on August 10 and the results will be announced on August 12 in the forthcoming panchayat election for 186 villages in Goa. In the regions, the model code of conduct is now in effect.