Verdict Day is finally here. The “ek baar fir Modi sarkar” prediction of pollsters has triggered a spurt of interest in results. While the nation waits with bated breath for the much-awaited decision to unfold, Goa keeps its fingers crossed over its bypolls, which will have a direct bearing on the power equation in
the State.
Amid a varied mix of opinions being formed, this result will be a litmus test for the parties in the fray, their candidates, and even the electorate. Defections have been the buzzword right through since the 1990s. And Goa continues to be the nursery of political defections, albeit, lately in a new avatar. As the State remains at crossroads, these bypolls will also give its mandate on politics of defections. Politicos have used development jargon to switch sides. Will it pass muster?
Subhash Shiordkar of the Congress and Dayanand Sopte both jumped the Congress ship and joined the BJP to virtually bail out a sinking Manohar Parrikar government. Such attempts earlier made by Mauvin Godinho, Vishwajit Rane and Pandurang Madkaikar have had successes considering the fact that their vote banks stood above the party they represented. It remains to be seen if similar trends will be seen in both Mandrem and Shiroda.
Fighting the election with disgruntled candidates from the rival camps has been the order of the recent bypoll. Will the electorate accept these candidates and give them a thumbs-up, or will they stamp out this politics of defection?
The bypoll will also be a crucial test for both BJP and Congress. The stranglehold of the saffron party on Panaji, which had Parrikar at the helm for the past 25 years, is facing a serious threat. It is to be seen if Panaji continues to toe the footsteps of Parrikar or move on. Conceding the capital after two and half decades of domination could come as a huge setback for the BJP.
Similar is the case in Mapusa where late Francis D’Souza was holding the fort for BJP for over two decades. His son, who has been given the party ticket is facing a tough fight from Sudhir Kandolkar. BJP’s sympathy factor may have met with success in earlier experiments like Alina Saldanha, but is it going to work this time around?
If these elections are a test of leadership of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, it’s a challenge for the GPCC President Girish Chodankar too. The Congress has taken a gamble in its choice of candidates. Girish is fielded in a relatively unknown terrain and is pitched against a formidable veteran Shripad Naik in north Goa. And the party has recalled an old-face in 73-year-old Francisco Sardinha to fight their battle for the South Goa seat, a man who was away from active politics for over four years.
It’s time to fasten the seat belts as the election rollercoaster is headed for a venturous finish.
