MARGAO
Buoyed by the success in its attempt to woo Fatorda’s significant Scheduled Tribes community in the Margao Municipal Council polls held earlier this year, the BJP seems to be leaving no stone unturned to make inroads into the ST vote-bank to keep the ruling party in good stead in the 2022 Assembly election.
Two-time former BJP MLA Damu Naik appears to be working on a game plan, to have a piece, if not a major slice of the ST cake, with the hope of turning the tables against arch political rival, Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai. At stake in Fatorda are the 6000-odd ST votes spread across the constituency, especially around the Chandrawado-Agalli-Borda belt.
Damu had won the Fatorda seat twice, first in 2002 and retained it in 2007 by defeating Sardesai. He, however, lost the seat in 2012 to Sardesai and again in 2017. Damu attributes his defeat to a major factor -- delimitation of Fatorda constituency, with party’s strongholds of Housing Board and Comba ward merged into Curtorim and Margao constituencies.
That explains Damu’s anxiety to woo the ST community, aware that any breakthrough into the crucial vote can come as a big bonus, assuming he retains the BJP core voter base intact.
The 2021 MMC election came as an acid test to the former MLA as he tested the political waters by fielding a couple of candidates belonging to the ST Community. To everyone’s surprise, two ST candidates, Milagrina Gomes and Camilo Barretto got elected on the BJP banner, while former Fatorda MLA Luis Alex Cardozo’s daughter, Viviana, backed by the party lost the poll in another ward.
Since then, there’s been no looking back for Damu Naik and the BJP team as they went about distributing fertilizers to the ST farmers, creating a feel-good factor ahead of the 2022 election.
The induction of Fatorda Block Congress President Piedade Noronha, party 2017 candidate Joseph Silva, Adv Millie Andrade, Livramenta Barretto, wife of councillor Camilo, is seen as part of Damu’s plan to make inroads into the ST vote bank.
Says Damu: “All these leaders are rooted to the ground. Piedade, Joseph and Livramenta had all won the municipal polls by polling substantial votes in their respective wards in the past. Piedade rose to become the MMC chairperson. We should not forget Piedade had polled 3000-plus votes in 2007 and close to 1000 votes in 2012 when she had contested the Assembly election.”
That Damu does not forget to raise a question to archrival Vijai Sardesai to unveil the number of jobs provided to the ST community is seen as an overt attempt by the former MLA to paint the incumbent MLA in bad light before the tribal voters.
Says BJP State President Sadanand Tanavade: “It is heartening to see that leaders and members of the ST community joining the BJP in large numbers. It will no doubt help the party in 2022, but the entry of ST leaders into the party will also benefit us elsewhere in the state as well”.
He added: The BJP had made a beginning in the MMC polls when our ST candidates Milagrina Gomes and Camilo Barretto won the polls on the party banner. We are improving on our gains.
