The Goa State Election Commission's decision to defer elections to the 11 municipal councils and the City Corporation of Panaji till April 2021 is a welcome one. However, the reasons attributed to it appear suspicious and deceiving. How does this sudden concern for the Covid scenario and the vaccination drive crop up? We understand any election environment could vitiate the atmosphere, but it would be naïve to accept that argument, especially against the backdrop of what the State has seen in recent times.
The government recommendation to the SEC to defer elections beyond April comes as a surprise when the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and some senior cabinet leaders were eyeing a February date all this while. Why would the government develop cold feet now, especially at a time when it is riding high after its convincing victory at the Zilla Panchayat elections? And why would the BJP suddenly abandon its plan to get local bodies under the party umbrella and hesitate to contest the civic polls outside the party banner? Has the readiness and show of confidence of Opposition parties rattled the BJP into redrawing the line?
By pushing the elections beyond April, the BJP has bought itself time to rework strategies. The fact of the matter is that the delimitation and ward reservation processes are not yet complete, and there is a lot of suspense on that count. The BJP is eyeing two wards each in B class municipalities of Quepem, Cuncolim, Canacona and Bicholim and one ward in Curchorem-Cacora civic body. Towards this plan, the government has given a statement in the High Court that the reservation and delimitation for municipal polls would be declared three weeks before the election notification.
The delimitation and reservation of wards have pushed the BJP into internal dilemma of short-listing candidates, and the BJP would exercise extreme caution to ensure that it doesn't disturb the party peace in its bid to seize the advantage. We have seen how the ruling dispensations have used the delimitation and reservation processes to checkmate potentially strong candidates and render them redundant.
There is a remote possibility that given the bitter resentment built up against the BJP government in view of the projects facing public opposition, the party could also use the three-month window to reconcile and carry out damage-control measures, on the lines of the cancellation of IIT project in Sattari.
The reasoning behind the postponement provided by the government appears disingenuous. We fail to understand the sudden Covid concern shown for people when party functions are happening regularly in full bloom. We fail to understand this concern when the government allowed all the crowding and partying during the festive season, showing scant respect to the health concerns of Goans. We fail to understand the concern for the vaccination programme when the government to date has done very little to even create awareness.
The municipal elections are postponed obviously because the BJP wants to extract its pound of flesh, and the government has only flattered to deceive the urban electorate by giving its fallacious sympathy.
