Experts says clear picture would emerge once Cong declares its candidate for South
Pallavi Dempo with CM Pramod Sawant
MARGAO
South Goa BJP candidate Pallavi Dempo may be relatively a new face in politics and for the voters of Salcete and down South, though her family roots can be traced to Salcete, in the riverine village of Assolna.
More than her roots in Salcete, political observers, say the Dempo’s will be certainly banking on football and the goodwill generated amongst the people across Goa and more particularly Salcete over the patronage extended to football by the industrialist family over the decades throwing up a moot question -- will football come in handy for the Dempo’s to score a goal or two on Salcete fertile political turf to ensure the Congress knock out in the coming poll?
This question assumes significance in the minority-dominated Salcete taluka, which plays host to around 2.38 lakh out of the 5,95,070 voters and where the voters had in the past strongly rallied behind the Congress in Lok Sabha polls?
While Pallavi is expected to campaign along with BJP leaders and workers across South Goa, sources expect husband Srinivas to personally call up the leading names of Salcete-based football administrators and players seeking support for wife’s candidature.
In fact, BJP leaders in private say that Srinivas Dempo will be in a better position to approach people who matter in Salcete. “Srinivas will be able to do what BJP leaders could not do in Salcete over the years. The Dempo family had earned enough goodwill by patronizing football land giving a boost to the sport”, remarked the BJP leader.
Political observers, however sounded a word of caution, warning that electoral politics and a Lok Sabha election is an entirely different ball game. They were quick to point out that it’s too early to predict how things would unfold in Salcete, saying a clear picture would emerge once the Congress declares the party candidate for South Goa.
Former UGDP ideologue and political commentator, Adv Radharao Gracias said the Dempo family must have earned goodwill through the promotion of football, a sport a passion for Saxttikars. He, however, hastened to add that much would depend on the Congress candidate. “I feel the Congress may have any free run if the ticket is not given to a minority candidate. In such an eventuality, you cannot predict how the minority voters will react in the coming election. Let us wait till March 27 for the Congress to declare the party candidate”, Radharao said.
Political commentator Adv Cleofato Coutinho pointed out that an impression is created that the BJP has roped in the wife of an Industrialist and that too from another constituency and that the candidate is thrust upon the voters. “Even if the Dempo’s had earned goodwill through football, it remains to be seen how Pallavi overcomes the impression of an candidate thrust upon the voters by the BJP”, Adv Coutinho added.
A couple of elderly soccer aficionados also cautioned that election is a different ball game, adding that it remains to be seen whether the goodwill generated for the Dempo’s over football will be translated into votes. That’s not all. An elderly citizen, closely associated with the game of football reminded that Saxttikars had by and large voted against the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. “We will have to wait and see how Pallavi or for that matter her husband Srinivas go about in pocketing the extra and bonus votes from Saxttikars on the plank of football”, he added.
