Will the Lok Sabha elections, including the eventual results on June 4, be a 'Déjà vu' moment for Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijai Sardesai?
With the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielding Pallavi Dempo for the South Goa seat, the wily politician from Fatorda, finds himself caught between the politically influential Saraswat community he belongs to and his own political compulsions with his party being part of the Opposition INDIA bloc.
Yet, thus far, Sardesai finds himself on the right side of all the politics, somewhat in a very similar position he found himself in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections: As an Independent (Congress rebel) first-term MLA then, he had pitch-forked himself leading the young Turks against the older generation Congress leaders and succeeded in ensuring the incumbent MP Francisco Sardinha was denied the ticket. The decision of the High Command to instead anoint Aleixo Reginald Lourenco had even stunned and left speechless the then GPCC chief John Fernandes.
Sardesai, meanwhile, chuckled as he led the campaign for Lourenco but the result was disastrous for the Congress, which lost its bastion by a wide margin to the BJP's Narendra Sawaikar. Circa 2024 and the wily Sardesai has similarly won the first round with Sardinha, a Congress ticket to whom he had publicly voiced strong opposition to.
The only deviation in 2024 from 2014, however, is that the candidate he is said to have rooted for -- Girish Chodankar -- did not get the ticket and instead, Captain Viriato Fernandes has been nominated, never mind Sardesai's public claim now that he had indeed proposed the Captain's name to the Congress High Command.
The question of whether the result will prove to be a 'déjà vu' for the Goa Forward chief will depend on what the South Goa electorate does on polling day and be known only on June 4 when the counting is slated to take place. Let's wait till then to see.
Pushed to sidelines for 20 years
It is indeed a remarkable comeback for septuagenarian Ramakant Khalap, who for the last 22 years had seen himself being pushed to the sidelines of politics by sheer bad luck and perhaps, several slips between the cup and the lip.
With an unblemished political career spanning five decades under his belt, many pundits believe the erstwhile silver-haired but now white-haired politician, suffered an overdose of political 'victimhood' to be confined to the political sidelines for 22 years, the last office he held being that of Law and IT Minister in Manohar Parrikar's cabinet in 2002.
With the Congress party ignoring him in 2019 for the crucial Mandrem bye-election necessitated by ex-MLA Dayanad Sopte's defection to the BJP, pundits thought it was the end of Khalap's studded innings.
Now, however, he finds himself in a position to earn his political swansong and indications are that the ruling BJP's top brass are getting wary of his very presence in the ring. How else can one explain Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's outburst against Khalap on Thursday, even warning that the government could "reopen" the 'Mapusa Urban Bank files'?
CM’s direct threat turns heads
In an astonishing turn of events that surely left many scratching their heads, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant declared with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop that he would graciously "reopen the Mapusa Urban Bank file"... because, you know, why not?
It’s no secret that this peculiar proclamation was aimed squarely at Opposition Congress candidate Ramakant Khalap. It's like watching a game of political kill, where the hammer of government authority comes down with a resounding thud on anyone daring to challenge the ruling BJP.
Of course, it's no secret that the BJP has a penchant for using intimidation tactics that make even mob bosses blush. From veiled threats to slapping opponents with more false cases than a poorly written crime novel, they've mastered the art of silencing dissent faster than you can say "democracy."
And let's not forget their flair for election shenanigans. Who could possibly erase from memory the legendary Chandigarh mayoral elections? It was a spectacle worthy of its own reality TV show, complete with a presiding officer handpicked by the BJP who decided to spice things up by openly tampering with ballot papers. Thankfully, the Supreme Court had to swoop in like a superhero to save the day and rectify the farce in Chandigarh.
But back to our dear Chief Minister and his theatrics. Threatening an opposition candidate? Well, that's just the cherry on top of this absurd political sundae.
So, here's cheers to you, Mister Chief Minister Sir, for providing us with yet another riveting episode of political twist. Who needs Netflix when we have the never-ending Indian political theatre?
Politicians and their outlandish predictions!
As the theatrical spectacle of parliamentary polls unfolds, our beloved politicians are treating us to a fantastical feast of make-believe assertions.
The BJP brigade, never one to shy away from grandiose proclamations, is waving the victory flag high for their North Goa candidate, Shripad Naik. With an air of confidence that borders on delusion, they predict a win with a staggering 1 lakh vote margin. Bravo, BJP, for your commitment to creative storytelling!
But wait, the Congress isn't about to be outdone in this fairy tale of political prowess. Their North Goa hopeful, Ramakant Khalap, has been strutting around town, proclaiming his inevitable victory with a margin of 50,000 votes. Ah, the sweet melody of wishful thinking!
Now, forgive us for scratching our heads, but Khalap who has been out of touch with the political world for the past almost two decades suddenly emerges from the shadows with such outlandish claims is, well, quite the plot twist.
But hey, who are we to prick their inflated balloon? After all, this is the magical world of positive thinking, where dreams take flight and reality takes a backseat.
The North Goa candidate, Manoj Parab of the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), the plucky underdog in this political circus, also exudes confidence in his electoral fortunes. However, unlike his counterparts, he's playing it coy when it comes to victory margins. No bold declarations here, thank you very much!
