MARGAO
Nuvem MLA, birthday boy Wilfred aka Babashan D’Sa, was candid enough in saying there’s no politics behind celebrating his birthday on Tuesday as he hopped on from one village to another to either lay foundation stones or inaugurate development projects across the constituency.
He even mentioned the time has not come to unveil his political plan for 2022 “ whether to contest the ensuing polls as an independent or on a party banner, though in the same vein he agreed that majority of his workers prefer that he throws his hat in the election ring as an independent.
Behind the spree of inaugurations and foundation stones, numbering around 21 projects, however, one could sense his anxiety to prove a point or two “ that he had quit the Congress along with nine other Congress MLAs to join the BJP to usher in development of Nuvem constituency.
As he went about showcasing his projects, the Congress-turned-BJP MLA tried to convey a clear message that the development of the constituency has been the sole factor that prompted him to quit the Congress in July 2019.
“There’s no politics on my birthday today. I have only showcased the projects initiated by me in the constituency. I had maintained in 2019 that I have joined the ruling party for the sake of development. Whatever development I have taken up and have proposed now after switching sides in 2019 is there before the people of Nuvem constituency,” Wilfred told the media.
To what extent the Nuvem MLA’s development mantra will find favour with a constituency considered a Congress stronghold remains unclear, where the defection by the MLA is likely to emerge as a key poll issue in 2022, but the first-time MLA seemed to be harping on the development to keep him in good stead in the ensuing Assembly polls.
None other than Wilfred knows for sure that he cannot afford to contest on the Lotus symbol in a constituency where the BJP has little or no presence. He, however, seemed to be in no hurry to unveil his plans to go independent, when he still is a part of the BJP and the government.
“There’s still time to make a decision. Most of my workers want me to go as independent, but I will seek an opinion of all my workers in the next 2-4 months before taking a decision,” he told the media.
Agriculture has been Wilfred’s launching pad into politics and took the occasion of his birthday to launch projects centred on agriculture, including the development of lakes, desilting of water bodies, and other logistics related to agriculture. “Agriculture and farmers are not new to me. I associate with them right from the stage of ploughing to harvesting,” he said.
Projects related to the improvement of roads, water supply, besides the development of the Verna football ground at a cost of Rs nine crore were launched on his birthday. Traffic signals at a couple of places, inauguration of a science lab at Mae Dos Pobres school, Nuvem under SCR, sanitation facility at the western bypass et al.
