The political career paths of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the 'Number two' in his cabinet, Vishwajit Rane, are inherently loaded with a quotient of conflict and it's no secret that the two harbour a level of deep distrust in the political domain.
Yet, whenever an electoral battle confronts the ruling dispensation, the two most powerful politicians of our State have the uncanny knack of holding back their horses and finding a unique brand of 'bonhomie' which they both fall head over heels to project in public.
It has happened several times in the past and it happened last weekend in Sattari, the taluka from which both hail. The occasion was an event at Bironda panchayat where several projects in the twin constituencies of Valpoi-Poriem represented by the husband-wife duo of Vishwajit and Dr Deviya.
Development projects worth some Rs 220 crore were either inaugurated and commissioned or foundations stones were laid by Sawant, positioned between the Rane couple in a bonhomie rarely seen among rivals. Sawamt even went to the extent of referring to the health minister in his speech as 'Baba', the nickname Rane junior is endearingly called in the taluka.
It left the Ranes blushing red no doubt, but after all the goodwill among the trio, Vishwajit must have been smithened to bits for him to reciprocate on 'X' (formerly Twitter) thus: "With immense delight, I am honoured to be a part of the unveiling of a plethora of development projects in Valpoi and Poriem, inaugurated today under the auspices of @DrPramodPSawant, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa. The projects unveiled encompass the upgradation of community hall facilities, enhancements to lift irrigation schemes, improvements in water supply infrastructure, and the enhancement of distribution transformer centers. Additionally, the inauguration included the supply, laying, testing, and commissioning of 11KV underground cables.
"Also present at the occasion was @draneofficial, the Hon’ble MLA of Poriem Constituency and Chairperson of the Goa Forest Development Corporation, ZP members, Sarpanches, and Panch members from Sattari.
"I extend my gratitude to Shri Pramod Sawant Ji for his invaluable support and leadership in sanctioning the various development projects. His vision and dedication have paved the way for significant improvements in infrastructure and quality of life in our community."
RGP’s political stunt backfires
In a comical twist, the ratings of the high-flying Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) took a nosedive, tripping over their own shoelaces in a hilarious display of political amateurism.
The uproar unfolded at the doorstep of Calangute MLA Michael Lobo. The RGP, brimming with bravado, announced their grand plan for a protest on social media, accusing Lobo of being the arch-villain and BJP’s star double agent, allegedly responsible for luring eight Congress MLAs into the saffron fold.
Early last Sunday morning, they rallied their party troops, urging all and sundry to gather in front of Lobo's humble abode in Parra at the stroke of 3.30 pm. But, by noon, a second message fluttered into the digital platform, announcing the postponement of the spectacle.
Apparently, some RGP supporters got cold feet, fearing the wrath of the law. It was a comedy of errors, with the RGP's grandiose plans deflating faster than may be a punctured balloon at a birthday party.
We can’t label them the A-team or even the B-team. But the RGP's plan to create a splash with the bold move in front of the ruling MLA’s house only ended in a whimper. It seems they wanted to take a big bite out of the political pie, but ended up choking on their own arrogance.
If Govind and I....
In a bid to highlight the potential and strengths of government primary schools, Chief minister Pramod Sawant who inaugurated a renovated primary school in Ponda Taluka's Keri, suggested that you could rise to any height if you've studied in one.
"Govind (Sports Minister) and I both studied from standard I to IV in government primary schools in our localities. If we can rise to the the State's chief minister and minister, there is no limit to what lenghts your children can go. They could go beyond Goa and become Central ministers," Sawant told a crowd of students and parents, at the inauguration.
Sawant said, not just infrastructure but even teaching methods and progress of students is being monitored by the government centrally by the education department.
It's quite another matter, though, that the success in politics can hardly be a barometer of one's academic and education profile.
