Teacher contests Local Govt elections as Independent

SCHOOL teacher Rajpaul Balgobin, 55, is not happy with the People’s National Movement and United National Congress. He is contesting the La Fortune/Woodland districts in the Debe/Penal Regional Corporation as an independent candidate.

Balgobin is not a newcomer to politics. He fell out with the UNC as a former key activist, joined with National Team Unity led by Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and once had a short stint with the People’s National Movement. The three parties are not attractive to him these days, he said. He also claimed that the three parties were also not being well supported by many in the La Fortune/Woodland districts located in the constituency of Oropouche.

Balgobin, who teaches at the Penal Junior Secondary School, believes he can capitalise on the disenchantment people feel with both parties, like they did in 1980, when residents of La Fortune/Woodland voted against the then United Labour Front led by current Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday, favouring Abdool Aziz, as an independent candidate.
Balgobin, a public servant for the past 25 years, claims to be one of the pioneers of pre-school education in Woodland. Balgobin is not optimistic that he will attain 3,025 votes like Aziz did in 1980. The then ULF candidate had polled only 400 against Aziz. Balgobin said he felt assured of whipping PNM candidate Elvin Tom at the upcoming polls.