The election results turned out to be a nail-bitter with many scrapping through with narrow margins and a few finding their luck in the draw of lots after top finishers polled equal votes. While the focus has been on the winners and prominent losers, there was an equal spotlight on political heavyweights and the candidates they fielded.
The setback received by Calangute MLA Michael Lobo in his home constituency where he had to concede to Joseph Sequeira (3-6) goes to highlight the slide of the legislator who once appeared to have the coastal belt in his grip. Also, BJP MLA from the Canacona constituency and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Ramesh Tawadkar’s humiliating loss conceding four out of the six panchayats is certainly not good news for the leader who is seeking to re-establish himself in the party’s ranks after a brief hiatus.
The result may have thrown many surprises in terms of candidates winning and losing, but by and large legislators and political heavyweights have stamped their authority giving a BJP flavour to the result. Let’s not forget, that the panchayat elections were not contested on party lines, it was only the active involvement of legislators that gave the election a party hue.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who till yesterday maintained that panchayat elections are not about politics but rural development, proudly announced on Friday that the BJP has wrested direct control of over 150 panchayats out of the 186. This only goes to highlight how crucial these elections were to the BJP which already has municipalities and Zilla panchayats under its belt.
Winning is always satisfying. However, with great power, comes great responsibility. Now that the BJP has claimed control of panchayats, there is a certain level of expectation at the village level from the BJP-led government. This is not only about winning, but also about delivery of services, and most importantly listening to the voices of the villagers.
In recent times, villagers have been up in arms against the government over various issues, including coal transportation, double-tracking, environmental concerns and mega projects. Now with Sawant admitting that panchayats are with the BJP, it is to be seen if the government reconciles to the voices of villagers and repositions itself.
On the flip side, winners who were once in the thick of action waging battles against projects and contested government policies will be on the watch list. What remains to be seen is whether these fierce activists carry on pursuing public issues or will mellow down under the weight of political power.
While there is no political trend that emerged from the results, there is certainly a wave of fresh faces in the panchayats and many existing candidates with multiple years of service have been rejected, names that once stood tall on the panchayat scrolls have now been shown the door. It is to be seen if the new faces bring about a change in vision, leave alone the traditional rhetoric of development. Can rural Goa hope for better living? Can we see the welfare of citizens taking precedence? Can the fight for Goa’s identity get a fresh momentum? Many questions would need answers as the panchayats begin their new innings.
