MARGAO
Consolidation of the party vote base in talukas of Ponda, Sanguem, Quepem, Canacona and Mormugao and reduction of the Congress lead in Salcete has been the BJP’s focus during the fortnight-long election camp as the party has made a determined bid to wrest the South Goa seat from the Congress.
Leading the pack in the overt and covert attempt towards the consolidation of the BJP vote towards Pallavi Dempo is Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. With MGP Supremo Ramkrishna Dhavalikar behind the party this time round and the remaining two segments in Ponda represented by Ministers Ravi Naik and Subhash Shirodkar, the BJP seemed banking heavily on Ponda taluka for a substantial vote margin.
The BJP top brass led by Chief Minister also concentrated in Mormugao taluka playing host to four Assembly segments of Mormugao, Vasco, Cortalim and Dabolim, the last named being represented by Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho. Launching Pallavi’s campaign from Mormugao, the Chief Minister has repeatedly returned back to the Port town to tie all loose ends and ensure that the party put up an united face, again to give substantial lead for Pallavi.
While strengthening the party base in Mormugao and Ponda talukas, the BJP did not ignore the segments in the hinterland talukas of Canacona, Quepem and Sanguem playing host to the five seats of Canacona, Quepem, Curchorem, Sanvordem and Sanguem.
Sanvordem in Sanguem taluka had always stood like a rock in successive Lok Sabha polls, giving the BJP an unassailable lead over the Congress. That Chief Minister Pramod Sawant travelled all the way to Sanvordem to call on former Minister Deepak Pauskar shows that the BJP is going about systematically to ensure there’s no split in the BJP vote.
