MAPUSA
Many candidates who are contesting the panchayat polls hope to capitalize on the support from Housing Minister Jayesh Salgaonkar in Saligao and Water Resources Minister Vinod Palyekar in Siolim constituencies.
For the first time, the two GFP leaders in Bardez are going back to the people’s court with tacit, and in some cases direct, support to candidates.
Having been elected after a strident campaign against the BJP in the February 4 assembly polls and defeating two senior BJP ministers, the two GFP leaders had shocked the State when they decided to back the BJP in government formation.
Has the anger subsided or will the electorate hit back by rejecting the supporters backed by the Goa Forward leaders?
Housing Minister and Saligao GFP legislator Jayesh Salgaonkar feels that people have come around and accepted the party’s decision to form the government in the interest of the State and development.
“Apart from a few die-hard Congress and Aam Aadmi Party supporters who questioned my decision to align with the BJP, most of the voters accepted us with open arms while campaigning for the panchayat polls,” Salgaonkar said.
He further said that he campaigned for a few candidates in wards where they were involved in a direct one to one fight.
Water Resources Minister Vinod Palyekar was not available for a comment as his phone was out of reach.
However, Palyekar’s close aide and former Verla-Canca sarpanch Milton Marques said the people in general had accepted the GFP’s position on government formation.
“In my entire campaign for the panchayat polls, only one lady asked me whether I was a BJP or Congress supporter,” said Marques, who is contesting from Verla-Canca panchayat and backing candidates in other wards.
He said people were aware being in the government helps in redressing their problems and getting their work done.
“Yes, we faced a lot of flak initially when we formed the government with the BJP. But we went around explaining to the people the intricacies of government formation. I don’t think supporting BJP is an issue any longer,” he said.
Although the water resources minister has not directly campaigned in the polls, many of the candidates on the campaign trail claimed to enjoy the minister’s support.
