UNC ‘Bombshell’ candidate tells supporters vote for PNM

DOCTOR Anirudh Mahabir, the United National Congress “bombshell” candidate contesting a seat in the San Fernando City Council at the upcoming Local Government elections, dropped his own bombshell during a campaign meeting in Gasparillo on Tuesday night, when he told party supporters to vote for the PNM.

A stunned crowd went silent not knowing how to respond to Mahabir’s Freudian slip of the tongue: “So when you go out on  July 14, vote for the PNM,” Mahabir said. Standing at the  podium before a fairly large crowd at Gasparillo Junction, Mahabir tried to laugh off the mistake then retracted his comment saying, “Vote for the UNC.” The crowd which numbered roughly 1,000 supporters sighed, “Ohhhhh....no.” For the UNC Gasparillo supporters, Mahabir’s mistake seemed like deja vu. It was on the same UNC platform and at the said venue in Gasparillo Junction during General Election campaign of 2000 when then Prime Minister Basdeo Panday made the political “gaffe” of the campaign, if not of his life, by boldly telling UNC supporters to vote for the balisier.

The unintentional error seemed to have returned to haunt this Local Government election campaign of the UNC. Mahabir, who is contesting the Cocoyea/Tarouba districts, was announced as the UNC’s “bombshell” candidate during the official launch of the party’s election campaign two weeks ago, at Screamers car park in Gulf View. Mahabir, a specialist eye surgeon, read from notes as he delivered his maiden political speech at the Gasparillo meeting.  He accused the PNM of building blocks of support in San Fernando by building houses. If the UNC is voted in control of the corporation, Mahabir said, that project would be stopped. “If we don’t, no way we’re going to win San Fernando again,” Mahabir said. As he ended his address with a call for supporters to send a message with their votes that the UNC was still “alive and cooking”, Mahabir said, “and when you go out on July 14, vote the PNM.” Panday had not arrived at the meeting when Mahabir’s faux pas was committed and seated at the head table were MPs Gillian Lucky (Pointe-a-Pierre) and Dr Adesh Nanan (Tabaquite). Elections Officer of the party Dr Tim Gopeesingh chaired the meeting. The broadcast was carried live on a radio station.