Madgaonkars always had their Diggubab. And the people of Moti Dongor had their ‘Digambarbab'. Times changed but this equation never did. Till now.
Bhai Naik makes lotus bloom in Moti Dongor, “Baba” Digambars ATM – Anytime Vote Machine
Madgaonkarsalways had their Diggubab. And the people of Moti Dongor had their‘Digambarbab'. Times changed but this equation never did. Till now. The ‘baba’is still the MLA, but it’s a ‘Bhai’ who is slowly taking charge. Bhai Naik.
Bhai’s hands arein every pie. The crowds queue up in front of his home daily. He got UmajiChowgule and Manohar Parrikar together at his residence to sort out the issueof the Chowgule college discontinuing higher secondary courses, and he haspulled off a highly controversial but significant coup -- getting over 1,000Digambar's Moti Dongar loyalist into the BJP fold. His detractors SharmadRaiturkar and Rupesh Mahatme, who Bhai terms as losers, allege that Bhai was alsoresponsible for inducting notorious criminal from Moti Dongor JalilShiekh into the BJP, which he denies.
The daily queueat Bhai’s residence reminds Madgaonkars of the 1990s, when his father thelegendary Babu Naik would give a patient ear to the problems of every Margaoresident. Bhai, a BJP National Executive member, has always stayed away fromlocal politics because his mother, the late Meerabai Naik did not want him toventure into politics, a reason why he never asked for the BJP ticket from Margao.
But perhaps Bhaihas now received divine sanction from his venerable late mother. On June 12 hismother passed away and since then Bhai has turned active in Salcete's politics.He distributed 2,500 BJP membership forms across Navelim and Margao besides sendingBJP volunteers across Moti Dongor -- yes Moti Dongor and keenly involvedhimself in the Chowgule College negotiations.
The timing ofBhai’s entry was perfect since BJP was looking for a new face to regain theparty’s hold especially with its own government in place. Sharmad Raiturkar wasthrashed in the 2005 by-poll and 2007 Assembly elections and Rupesh Mahatmefailed in the 2012 Assembly polls.
An angry BJPMinority Cell President Sheikh Jinnah exclaimed, that “Jalil is a curse toMuslims in Goa” and that the BJP minority cell will protest “the induction ofJalil."
Interestingly a2003 document shows that the BJP Margao Mandal President, Chandan Naik had alsoinducted Jalil in the BJP previously, when Diggu was part of the BJP.
“It is shamefulto see BJP get stuck at 7500 votes in Margao. These leaders have failed toinduct people from areas where Digambar is strong. That’s why I have stepped into induct members,” explains Naik.
