PANAJI
In the fray are three main contenders - sitting MLA Rajendra Arlekar of the BJP, former MLA of the erstwhile Dhargalim constituency and now merged with the Pernem constituency, Manohar 'Babu' Azgaonkar of the Maharahstrawadi Gomantak Party and Vikesh Assotikar of the Congress.
While opinion is divided across the breadth of the sprawling constituency, there is one recurring theme across the constituency - unhappiness with the status quo.
The reasons are various. The failure to adequately complete the “works” of the people during the five-year tenure, inadequate or failure to properly assess the landowners who lost their land to the Mopa airport given that only 10 per cent of the compensation money has been handed out, the perennial issue of ‘development’ and providing jobs to the people.
A front runner to benefit from this anti-incumbency is Babu Azgaonkar who is on a battle to win back his lost vote share - a share he himself lost to anti-incumbency, fatigue and an arrogance that had crept in. His pushing for the sports city, a plan which was ultimately scrapped was seen as high handed.
But the mood isn’t the same this time round and Azgaonkar seeks to win the hearts of the constituency once again claiming he has made mistakes in the past and seeks another chance. To his benefit is his personal connect with the voters having visited almost the entire constituency not only before the elections but also in the past.
He is likely to retain his former stronghold of Dhargalim.
On the other hand, BJP’s Rajendra Arlekar can claim the development work the government has undertaken in the constituency.
“I have been living in Pernem town for 45 years and have seen that for the last five years, there has been development in the constituency. Over the last five years, roads have been broadened, we are getting a new bus stand, the electronic city and now the airport. I want the BJP to come back to power simply so that they can complete the work they have begun,” Sanjay Parab told The Goan.
He admits that Arlekar comes across as a little “unpolished” in his interactions with the people, but that it won’t be an impediment to his victory as the high handed nature of his rival hasn’t really worn off.
Whether Babu can benefit from representing the MGP which, it is widely believed will quickly bury differences with the BJP, should the situation so arise, remains to be seen.
Parab has echoed a fear that is not restricted to a few pockets of the constituency. The feeling that “works” will come to a standstill was echoed at a tea-shop in Nagzar village of the constituency, with the hint that it might be the BJP itself that is propagating this view.
Word has it that the Congress’ Vikesh Assotikar is the third most likely to grab the seat, but could stand to gain in the event there is a split in the votes between the two front runners.
