MARGAO
What is also to be seen is if Parrikar will leave the minority taluka for his new alliance partners “ TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai and former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao to look after Salcete’s interest in the emerging political scheme of things, where
the Congress had virtually swept the taluka in the 2017 Assembly election.
When questions were posed to the Chief Minister, who had virtually fallen in love with minority Salcete after assuming office post 2012 assembly election, Parrikar apparently preferred to tread a cautious path, only saying that he will answer the query in the near future, after the budget session.
Interestingly, even before Parrikar could unveil his road map for Mission Salcete, the decision by Avertano, Benjamin and Caitu to keep their offices open, has indeed raised eyebrows in Salcete’s countryside. More so, with reports doing the rounds in Navelim that Parrikar had called up Salcete’s outgoing lone minister, Avertano after assuming office with a plea not to shut shop, but to continue his work in Navelim constituency.
Political observers say that Parrikar’s Mission Salcete this time round will depend on what role the BJP and Goa Forward party intend playing in the minority heartland. Minority Salcete had voted en block for a resurgent Congress, which won six out of the eight seats at stake, with the remaining two seats going in favour of the NCP and the Goa Forward party, leaving the BJP and its former partners stranded way
behind.
Indeed, if not for Vijai Sardesai’s decision to go with the BJP-led government, political observers say that Salcete would have been by now represented by a host of ministers in a Congress-led government.
Against this backdrop, the moot question asked in Salcete’s political circles is whether it would be Goa Forward party mentor and TCP Minister, Vijai Sardesai or Manohar Parrikar and his team that would look after Salcete’s interest.
Says TCP Minister, Vijai Sardesai: “Certainly, we at Goa Forward party would like to expand our base in Salcete. I do not know what the BJP or Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has in his mind vis-Ã -vis Salcete. But, one thing is clear that the Goa Forward would certainly expand its carpet in Salcete.”
In the just concluded 2017 Assembly election, the Goa Forward party had contested the two seats of Fatorda and Velim and had supported Independent candidate in Navelim against State Congress President Luizinho Faleiro.
On the other hand, the BJP had contested in the five constituencies of Fatorda, Margao, Curtorim, Velim and Cuncolim and lost all.
The party had backed Independent Avertano in Navelim, who could also not retain his seat.
Incidentally, Parrikar was a regular visitor to Salcete after returning back to the CM’s saddle post-2012 Assembly election, personally taking responsibility of the minority taluka on the development front, though his then alliance partners, Avertano Furtado, Benjamin D’Silva and Caitu Silva, drawing flak from the likes of opposition members, including Vijai Sardesai and Reginaldo Lourenco and others.
MOOT QUESTIONS
Will Parrikar form a new team to be the flag bearers of Mission Salcete?
Will Parrikar entrust Vijai Sardesai and Churchill Alemao look after Salcete’s interest?
STRAIGHT FACTS
Minority Salcete votes en block for a resurgent Congress which got six out of eight seats
Remaining two seats go in favour of NCP and Goa Forward Party
BJP and former partners stranded way behind
If Vijai had not come to BJP’s rescue Salcete would have a host of Ministers in a Cong-led govt
2002: FLASHBACK
Parrikar was a regular visitor to Salcete after returning to CM’s saddle post-2012 Assembly election
Personally took responsibility of the minority taluka on development front
Alliance partners, Avertano, Benjamin and Caitu drew flak were always criticised by Opposition including Vijai and Reginaldo
