The Lok Sabha election result was a picture of contrast between the two seats in Goa, with all the action centred around the South where a neck-and-neck contest was emerging between Capt Viriato Fernandes and Pallavi Dempo in the early stages of counting. The BJP has won the North seat comfortably as expected with Shripad Naik romping home for the sixth time with an overwhelming margin of over one lakh votes. While the Revolutionary Goans Party frontman and North Goa candidate Manoj Parab kept the party flag fluttering, it was a disappointment all around for the regional outfit.
The BJP’s loss in the South may be attributed to several factors. They failed to eat into the Congress lead in Salcete, and the math did not go their way, especially in Salcete, Mormugao and a few hinterland areas.
The people of Goa have spoken their minds. In North Goa, the anti-incumbency and non-performance attributes of Shripad which the Opposition was consistently harping on did not work as the veteran leader made his overpowering outreach and accessibility count.
In South Goa, it was a different ball game with all candidates being newcomers in the Lok Sabha fray and each trying to make a mark on the political landscape in distinctive styles. BJP’s most vocal plank on the Constitution had no takers, and the party’s attempt to question the credentials of a navy man fell on deaf ears. On the flip side, Viriato was loaded with ammo and fired at the BJP on issues ranging from jobs, double tracking, coal transportation, etc, issues that were resonating with the common man.
To make matters worse, there was a jarring anti-Muslim narrative that Modi was playing across the nation ringing in a sense of insecurity among minorities in a conscious bid to polarise the Hindu voters. He brought in an element of fear and uncertainty through his public discourse that plummeted to bizarre depths.
If Muslims in Goa have not voted for Pallavi and have discarded local leaders like Kamat and others who have a sizeable vote bank of migrants, it was precisely due to an agenda of divisive politics that was drawn at the Centre. In Margao, Kamat could manage a wafer-thin margin of 86 votes against the confidence he exuded of securing a lead between six to eight thousand. One can’t forget the time when Chief Minister Pramod Sawant dashed off from Sanquelim to Moti Dongor at Kamat’s request while polling was on.
And then there was the religious spin. Sections in the BJP, including Nilesh Cabral, Mauvin Godinho and Aleixo Sequeira have been critical of a section of priests for, what they see as a “propaganda of hate” against the BJP. Sawant, who went on a ’temple and church-run’ with the South Goa candidate in tow found acceptance in almost all the religious centres he visited, to the extent that the candidate got blessings at some churches.
If the church advisory has indeed jeopardised the prospects of the BJP candidate in the South, it’s time for the party to introspect because it reflects a breach of trust. The Church and the BJP have had cordial relations in the past, even during the tenure of late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. In fact, the church had rallied around the saffron party while Parrikar initiated a host of confidence-building measures.
Cut into the present, the void is visible. With the Viksit Bharat tune in the background, the forceful attempt to polarise voters in the name of Hindutva is as clear as daylight. Goa has been lately simmering under communal tensions with political leaders extending tacit backing to certain groups spreading narratives of hate. The statue culture that has set in is a glaring example. The interesting part is that the polarisation that the BJP was aiming at, failed miserably in Goa. People spoke their “Maan ki Baat”, the silent voter spoke loud and clear, and the language of religion did not translate into votes.
There are lessons to be learnt from these elections for all players. BJP which has been riding high on the double-engine governance failed to impress in the South despite the monumental success of development and welfare schemes. The disconnect between governance and the electorate of South Goa needs deeper study. It’s time the BJP climbs down from the high pedestal and genuinely gets to the brass tacks.
