MARGAO
Salcete isn’t new for Srinivas Dempo affectionately known as Baba Dempo “ Dempo Sports Club’s big boss. Reason: The Dempo sports team must have played and won scores of soccer matches at the Nehru stadium, Fatorda and outside over the years.
This time round, however, Baba Dempo is back in Saxttidom to play a different ball game. As was widely anticipated in political circles, Baba Dempo has descended on the fertile political turf in Salcete in a bid to drum up support for wife Pallavi who is seeking election from the South Goa Lok Sabha seat on the BJP banner.
Take note, while Pallavi has been virtually on a temple run across South Goa with BJP top brass including State President Sadanand Tanavade, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Ministers and MLAs, Baba Dempo is on a quiet mission in Salcete, working behind the scenes, tapping all football connections, paying a visit or two to soccer administrators, players and aficionados with an one-point agenda “ seeking support for wife Pallavi.
Dempo’s first stop in Salcete was at Sinquetim in Navelim village, a village that has churned and nurtured football talent over the decades. With former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat in tow, Baba Dempo called on former goalkeeper and Minister Avertano Furtado and had an interaction with him and a group of football aficionados at Sinquetim. The Furtado family is not new to the Dempos as Avertano’s brother Schubert Furtado, has been closely associated with the Goa Football Association, of which Baba Dempo, has been closely associated over the years.
If sources are to believed, the Dempo football team’s boss and his associates are also reported to have called up several former footballers and officials of various clubs in Salcete and outside in the last few days ever since wife Pallavi accepted the BJP’s offer to contest the May 7 Lok Sabha polls.
Sources in the know informed that the Dempos must have provided financial help to many a club, struggling to stay afloat in times of crisis.
Political observers say the game plan seemed clear “ while wife Pallavi will move around the constituency in the company of BJP workers attired in saffron scarves and raising Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Vande Mataram slogans, Baba Dempo will be moving around without the BJP propaganda machinery.
“It is apparent that Baba Dempo will be keen to tap the vast goodwill generated over the years through football in favour of wife Pallavi. He, however, has a task cut out “ how to channelise the goodwill for the Dempos in favour of wife who is contesting the election on the BJP banner,” remarked a political observer.
The observer added: “The Dempos will have to tread a cautious path. For, on one hand, the Dempos have tremendous goodwill amongst the football administrators and players. On the other hand, wife Pallavi is seeking election on the BJP banner and many of the well-wishers must have never voted for the BJP in their lifetime.”
Pallavi to kick start campaign in Benaulim, Curtorim today
MARGAO: After a temple run in the South Goa constituency, BJP candidate Pallavi Dempo will be entering into the minority-dominated Assembly segments on Friday “ Benaulim, the heartland of the Christian minorities, and Curtorim, where the BJP is eyeing for extra votes this time round given that Independent MLA Reginaldo Lourenco is a coalition partner of the BJP government.
In Benaulim, Pallavi is scheduled to kickstart her campaign from coastal Cavelossim village with a visit to the local Church. From there, she is expected to seek divine blessings at the temple at Benaulim and neighbouring Colva.
In Curtorim Assembly segment too, Pallavi will start her campaign by visiting Our Lady of Snows Church, Raia. Political observers, however, are awaiting the meeting Pallavi will have with Independent MLA Reginaldo Lourenco and his supporters at the Santemol Temple at Raia.
In fact, all eyes are on three-time MLA Reginaldo Lourenco since he had all along maintained silence on the question of support to the BJP candidate in the coming Lok Sabha polls.
