the goan I network
PANAJI
Congress has fielded Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate’s aide and Kalapur sarpanch, Tony Fernandes, the Aam Admi Party’s face in St Cruz is Joe Gomes, Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Hemant Golatkar as its candidate and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party has Prakash ‘Pakka’ Naik as its candidate.
While all these prominent candidates will contest Assembly polls for the first time, the only experienced candidate is independent candidate Rodolfo Fernandes, who secured around 6,000-odd votes in 2012 trialing then winner Monserrate by 2,000 votes.
A group of senior citizens enjoying the evening breeze near the Sateri temple in Carmiche Bhatt were of the opinion that St Cruz, traditionally a walkover constituency for Congress, will witness a tough fight on February 4.
“All these candidates -- Pakka, Rodolfo, Tony, Hemant are from our constituency. They are known faces
and it’s hard to say who has more clout,” said one of the elderly men.
When asked whether they are comfortable with the MoI rhetoric of Goa Suraksha Manch, an ally of MGP, another laughed the notion off saying,
“Who is Velingkar to decide where our children will study and why should he or even MGP be the reason for us to vote for Pakka.
He is our villager and we know him better than MGP and Velingkar.”
Incidentally, MGP leaders claim a vote bank of around 5,000 in the constituency while the Congress vote bank is pegged at 6,000. But calculations could very well be thrown out of the window with people reconsidering their stand.
A homemaker from Mesta Vaddo pointed to this trend when she said, “Our issues continue to be the same since Victoria Fernandes’ time.
Garbage collection, land matters, water supply, roads. Nothing has changed even when the Congress candidate changed.”
She also expressed the grouse that Congress candidate Fernandes has yet to visit her locality.
“With Babush focusing his energies and resources on winning in Panaji, Tony has to walk alone in St Cruz. But he is going very slow,” she observed. Of the three panchayats in the constituency, Merces has around 7,000 voters, Chimbel has around 10,000 and St Cruz has 9,000 voters.
St Cruz and Chimbel panchayat areas are home to Congress voters while Merces tends to sway.
It is precisely this calculation which every non-Congress candidate is hoping to upset. Eight days into his campaign,
MGP’s Pakka Naik appears to be confident that he will succeed in breaking the jinx and that MGP’s losing streak will end on March 11.
“MGP will make history this time. We have already shown our strength at the Zilla Parishad polls. I am not strategising on the basis of any vote banks.
Ward wise development, employment, promotion of entrepreneurs, sewerage, garbage, infrastructure, mundkarial issues...
I will begin with resolution of these seemingly small issues.,” a voter said.
Naik stated that the presence of former alliance partner BJP in the fray will not affect his chances.
When asked about the kind of support he has received from the Dhavalikar brothers, he said,
“They have held two corner meetings in my constituency so far. I have been assured of full support to my endeavours and vision for the next five years.”
