The BJP-led State government has engineered a major surgical strike in the delimitation and reservation exercise leaving many a seasoned campaigner in the 11 municipal council wards across the urban landscape high and dry. In the new alignment, there are 52 wards reserved for women, 40 for OBCs and 8 for Scheduled Castes.
The reservations have put several BJP contenders in a comfort zone, especially in key municipalities like Mapusa where it has signalled the end of the road for four former councillors. While many others who were contemplating a return in Mormugao have been driven out of contention. In yet another surprise move, for the first time in thirty years, the politically-important ward of Pajifond in Margao has been reserved for women effectively checkmating entry of Yogiraj, son of Digambar Kamat, into electoral politics. In Sanguem, too, the quota allocation meant that prominent names have been eliminated from the contest.
Reservations of wards for women, SCs and OBCs have been strategically done and have made many urban heavyweights irrelevant. In the absence of the latest data on actual population figures, the reservations remain a hotly contested subject, with the ruling dispensation normally showing a biased approach intended to secure a clear political advantage. Moreover, the reservation exercise is handled by the Urban Development Ministry and not the State Election Commission, thereby leaving enough scope for political manipulations.
It comes as no surprise that the realignment and quotas will favour the BJP because that’s the underlying purpose of the exercise undertaken by anyone in power. A fuming Opposition may be looking at taking the High Court route for a resolution, but the question is whether the judiciary would be in a position to stall such a massive electoral exercise at short notice and whether the petitioners will have enough ammo to challenge reservations is to be seen.
While there is a simmering discontent among Opposition, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's sudden decision not to contest municipal elections, despite the party president showing some inclination, is a prudent one from the BJP's perspective. The CM has factored in the repercussions of contesting party-based civic polls and weighed the dissension and rebellion that it will cause internally by naming some and ignoring others who are in the forefront. The BJP cannot afford to unsettle its strong grassroots cadre at this juncture because it will have serious consequences in the run-up to the Assembly elections of 2022. In this context, keeping the battlefield open for all and sundry, with a mind on post-electoral alignment, the BJP might be in a win-win situation by achieving its objective and also holding its flock together.
The field is wide open, and despite all the controversies, there will be contestants of different political hues battling it out. Can the Opposition strategize and fight back with the available resources and candidates at hand? Or is it going to cry hoarse over the reservations and meekly surrender to the BJP? Time will tell.
