A UGDP board outside party office in Margao during its heydays in the 90s and early 2000.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
It was Monday noon. As one entered the Aliados Jardin building located on the Abade Faria road, behind Gomant Vidya Niketan, one came across a symbol with Two Leaves on the wall of the second floor, giving an insight into the successful story of the regional outfit, the United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP).
On the roof-top of the building, however, it was apparent that the Salcete-based regional party seemed resigned to its fate. In the run up to the Assembly polls, the party office should have been bustling with activity, flooded with aspiring candidates vying for tickets to contest the 2022 polls.
Sadly, the two popular faces of the regional outfit – Secretary General Adv Anacleto Viegas and party senior vice-president Adv Radharao Gracias were preparing to address the media in the presence of party president Dr Jorson Fernandes to announce the decision that the party chief has resigned from the party to join the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Both Anacleto and Radharao had no qualms over the resignation of the party president. In fact, the duo encouraged Dr Jorson to take the decision to part ways with the party on the plea he has no future in the party, which has been on the decline over the last decade and half, indicating the regional outfit has been struggling for survival in the backdrop of the emergence of new regional forces and the arrival of outstation political parties in the minority heartland Salcete.
Both Anacleto and Radharao have been candid in conceding that the regional party has no wherewithal to fight elections for want of logistics and resources. “Our president Dr Jorson has the wish to contest from his home constituency Cuncolim. But the party has no means to back him and get him elected. Hence, we have decided that he contest on any other political banner so that the voice of Goans is heard in the coming Assembly”, remarked Adv Anacleto.
Adv Radharao echoed similar sentiments. ‘It’s unfortunate and a painful decision that the party president has quit to contest on the banner of another party. But it’s a reality that our party has been struggling to stay afloat over a host of reasons, including logistics”.
He added: “The party was a force to reckon with when Churchill Alemao presided over the party in the 90s. People had reposed its faith on the party between 1994 and 2002, electing candidates in every election. But, the desertions and defections of party MLAs and the absence of organization saw the party stagnating over the years”.
Churchill Alemao’s new outfit Save Goa Front in 2007 saw the party getting further pushed to the background, with the party losing its ‘Two Leaves’ symbol. And, the rise of the Mickky Pacheco-led Goa Vikas Party in 2012 followed by the Goa Forward Party in 2017 virtually saw the regional party confined to the record books.
Says Dr Jorson Fernandes. “I am leaving the UGDP with a heavy heart. It is a very painful decision for the head of a political party to leave the organization to join another party. I had tried to keep the flag of the party flying high, but the absence of logistics, resources and organization has come in the way of the party moving forward”.
Added Party Secretary General Anacleto Viegas: “We are not merging the UGDP with any other party. Only our party president will resign to join the party of his choice. The party will not be disbanded, but will continue to highlight the aspirations of Goans”.
The Goa Vikas Party in 2012 when it won the seats in Nuvem and Benaulim.
MARGAO: Like the United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP), the Goa Vikas Party (GVP) had tasted immediate success when the party tested the electoral waters a decade ago in the 2012 Assembly polls. The party won the two crucial seats of Benaulim and Nuvem riding on the strong anti-Congress wave in the state.
The party has been struggling for survival since 2017 after the party failed to win a single seat. Flamboyant former Minister Mickky Pacheco, who had presided over the party affairs in 2012 had quit the party before the 2017 polls after the tug of war to control the party affairs ended in favour of Lyndon Monteiro, who has been heading the GVP since 2017.
Lyndon said the Goa Vikas Party is still alive and the future of the party will be decided by the Executive Committee on how to go about in the coming elections. “One should know that the Goa Vikas Party is a registered political party. The party had contested a couple of seats in the last elections, but could not win any. With the 2022 election just four months away, the party executive committee will take a call how to go about in the ensuing polls”, Lyndon added.
