MARGAO
As the no-holds barred campaign for the June 23 by-poll for the Benaulim Zilla Panchayat seat draws to a close on Friday, one question that is being asked in Benaulim is simple “ will the Aam Aadmi Party manage to retain the Benaulim ZP seat which the party won in 2020 before the Administrative Tribunal disqualified ZP member Hanzel Fernandes over his OBC caste certificate?
A total of four candidates are in the fray, including Aam Aadmi Party candidate Joseph Pimenta and Independents Royla Fernandes, Grrayfans Fernandes and Frank Fernandes. The fight, however, has narrowed down between AAP candidate Joseph and the two Independents Royla and Grrayfans.
While AAP volunteers led by party MLA Venzy Viegas has launched a colourful campaign, with volunteers attired in blue-coloured T-shirts, Grayyfans has not lagged behind, with the young candidate popularly called as “Poppu” leaving nothing to chance to upset the AAP’s applecart.
INDI Alliance leaders drum up support for candidate
AAP Benaulim has not left a single stone unturned as he went about a systematic campaign to drum up support for Joseph Pimenta. AAP’s strong volunteer base in Benaulim, which had in the past propelled the Arvind Kejriwal-led party to win the 2020 Benaulim ZP seat followed by the 2022 Benaulim Assembly election, has come in handy for Team Venzy for the ongoing campaign, as he has gone about door-to-door campaign before taking out an impressive rally in the constituency on Wednesday.
Even though doubts were expressed in many quarters over INDI Alliance’s support for Joseph Pimenta, Venzy got the GPCC chief Amit Patkar to give a boost to the ongoing campaign to send a message to Congress workers and supporters that the party is supporting AAP candidate in the by-poll.
Given that Royla Fernandes was instrumental in filing a disqualification petition which resulted in the disqualification of ZP member Hanzel Fernandes, the AAP has also launched a campaign blaming Royla was not only behind Hanzel’s disqualification, but the petition has denied the Christian carpenters of the OBC benefits.
Grrayfans gets backing from local leaders
Affectionately called as “Poppu” by his friends and well-wishers, Grrayfrans has covered lot of ground across the five villages of Benaulim, Varca, Orlim, Carmona and Cavelossim since the time his candidature was propped up by Benaulim Sarpanch Xavier Fernandes, fisherman Pele Fernandes and others.
Since then, Poppu has received the support of former Minister Churchill Alemao and son Savio. His candidature received a further boost when former ZP member Maria Rebello extended her support. If Venzy got a group of tourist taxi drivers to extend support to Joseph Pimenta’s candidature, Grrayfans too has received support and backing from tourist taxi drivers across the constituency.
In a bid to take the battle to the AAP camp, and counter MLA Venzy’s message to the voters that Joseph Pimenta is backed by the INDI Alliance, Grrayfans does not stop telling the people that he and his family have been Congressmen over the years, having supported Congress candidate Captain Viriato Fernandes to win the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Royla seeks support of Benaulikars
The Congress-turned-Independent candidate has gone about her campaign on a low-key without much fanfare. Her candidature received a big boost after the Alemao sibling Warren Alemao extended his support, making a fervent plea to the people of Benaulim and Congressmen to rally behind her.
That Warren asserted that Joseph Pimenta is AAP candidate and INDI Alliance candidate is seen as a message to the Congressmen from Benaulim constituency to support Royla, even promising that Royla will return back to the Congress party after her election in the by-poll.
With AAP trying to capitalise on her disqualification petition filed against Hazel Fernandes to woo the carpenter community, Royla has maintained that the situation would not have arisen if the AAP had not to file Hanzel for the Benaulim ZP seat. In fact, in a bid to turn the tables against AAP, Royla has demanded to know from MLA Venzy what efforts he has put in to get the government issue a notification stating the Christian carpenters too form part of the OBC community.
