An outspoken minister in the Pramod Sawant cabinet Michael Lobo has taken campaigning to a different level by publicly announcing candidates for Siolim, Mapusa and Calangute, leaving the party leaders red-faced and speechless. The rider is, Lobo has refrained from using any party name, giving BJP the shivers either way and forcing the leadership to engage in a “dinner diplomacy”.
At a function in Canca, Lobo took everyone by surprise as he announced that his wife Delilah Lobo will contest from Siolim, Sudhir Kandolkar from Mapusa, besides his candidature from Calangute constituency and was optimistic of all three winning respective seats.
Lobo left a lot to political interpretation as he spoke about how areas of Verla-Canca, Assagao, Anjuna and Siolim have suffered over the years due to a lack of people-centric development where even necessities like water are not met. Without taking names, he launched a broadside against MLAs who are not accessible and questioned how CM's pet project Swayampoorna Goem could succeed if legislators failed in their basic duties.
However, the apparent calm shown by the Calangute MLA was not good enough to mask the anger inside. His electoral pitch in Canca comes in sharp contrast to party discipline and order, and perhaps unprecedented in BJP ranks, raising speculations that he is ready to jump ship.
BJP, known for its centralized chain of command and party discipline, has been increasingly witnessing internal turbulence lately. If we may recall, in the later part of Manohar Parrikar's tenure of 2017 when his health was deteriorating, senior partymen had gone hammer and tongs criticizing decisions and airing contradictory personal views in public. Lobo had been summoned to Delhi even during Parrikar's regime for his unsavoury utterances.
Come 2022 elections, and the BJP leadership is as silent as the depth of the night with its backroom troubleshooting failing. Against the background of a heated campaign that has picked up pace, the reality within is frightening for the BJP, and this is where the think tank of Amit Shah, CT Ravi and Devendra Fadnavis faces a dilemma. The BJP has tall and winnable leaders in Lobo, Vishwajit Rane and Atanasio Monserrate who are pitching for their spouses much against the hardline stand taken by the party high command against 'dynastic politics.'
Party's election observer Fadnavis had recently admitted that BJP can easily sail through if it shows unity and speaks in one voice. Going by the situation on the ground, the BJP portrays a picture of a stark contrast as legislators are jumping the gun and making announcements. Aspiring leaders like Utpal Parrikar, Sidharth Kuncalienker and Laxmikant Parsekar have started speaking their minds. Lobo has said that he is ready to quit the party if he is not needed, but has also added that he could win six out of the seven seats in Bardez.
The BJP which is defending its turf against a fiery opposition onslaught will have to rework strategies and do a fine balancing act. Dinner diplomacies will not help in diffusing such a complex issue, and defiance from the leadership at this stage could only cost the party a self-goal.
