How politically correct is Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo? Known for his outbursts even at his own government, Lobo -- eyeing mid-term elections -- has hit even harder this time while stating that people in Goa are unhappy and seeking a change.
Let’s give Lobo his due. He is spot on. Politicians changing their colour for lust of power and greed for money are indeed playing politics of deceit. And it’s also a sorry state of affairs when politicos prefer to happily take a piggyback ride as long it suits their ambitions.
But why do we have to go this far. Isn’t it the same Lobo who was instrumental in helping the BJP to cobble together a coalition when the mandate was not in their favour? Was this not against the wishes of the people? Where was your conscience then? What happened to the scorn thrown by the people then, where even the government’s Goenkarponn coinage was mocked at?
The irony in Goan politics is that nobody dares to talk as long as they are kept busy in power. In Goan politics there is no word called ‘conscience’. If at all it was there, we wouldn’t be subjected to such political turmoil. Goans understand now that as soon as politicos fall out of the equation, the hunger pangs are visible and open outbursts pour out.
If the Calangute MLA was vocal about collapse of administration and even dropped open hints about the deteriorating health of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar while at AIIMS it was for the sheer frustration of not being considered in the recent cabinet reshuffle which brought on board Nilesh Cabral and Milind Naik. The deafening silence that followed and an assurance of him being accommodated by TCP Minister and his good friend Vijai Sardesai is another side of the story.
With Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte coming into the frame, Lobo has seen his chances vanish into thin air and there he goes again. In politics, probably it’s once bitten, never shy.
The Lobo tirade however doesn’t bode well for the BJP at this crucial juncture, when they are critically low on numbers and trying a delicate balancing act with the allies. The recent Parsekar flare-up, followed by an all-out attack by just-arrived Mapusa MLA Francis D’Souza are enough indicators that the BJP is not on a sound footing.
The man-management and administration skills of Parrikar are amiss here. The BJP leadership has failed to contain the growing resentment that is building within the party while it executes drastic measures to save a sinking ship. With the BJP doing a tightrope walk on honouring political commitments to new recruits and coalition partners, the journey ahead only gets tougher by the day. It only remains to be seen how well the Delhi BJP bosses manage to tide over this tsunami that is slowly but steadily threatening to rock its own boat.
