MARGAO
Is the Zilla Panchayat election result writing on the wall for Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Churchill Alemao in Benaulim Assembly constituency?
While an upbeat Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), having won the Benaulim Zilla Panchayat seat, must be certainly hoping for a repeat in the 2022 Assembly election for the Benaulim seat, the seasoned political campaigner sounded categorical in saying the ZP result isn’t going to pose him any threat.
Saying the ZP election result is just a “dream”, Churchill maintained that the result will not have any bearing on his election prospect in the 2022 Assembly election.
The Benaulim Assembly constituency comprises the villages of Benaulim, Varca, Orlim, Carmona, Cavelossim, besides Colva and Seraulim. While the first five villages made up the Benaulim Zilla Panchayat constituency, both Colva and Seraulim are part of the Colva ZP constituency, where Churchill’s candidate Vania Baptista has won the seat by a whisker.
A glance at the voting pattern in the villages of Benaulim constituency revealed that the NCP could not lead over the Congress and AAP rivals in any of the villages, except in the villages of Seraulim and Orlim.
In fact, the NCP has trailed in the crucial villages of Benaulim, Colva, and even in Churchill’s home village Varca and not to mention Carmona, where AAP managed to retain its base.
While the Aam Aadmi Party has made news by opening its account in the Benaulim ZP seat, the result saw the NCP being relegated to the third place in a constituency represented by the party MLA, leaving many a political observer shocked and surprised.
What may further come as a surprise is the fact that the NCP had failed to poll majority votes in the crucial villages of Benaulim, Colva, Varca, Carmona and Cavelossim. The lone consolation was Seraulim village, which stood by the NCP MLA, which in the ultimate analysis helped him to win the Colva seat.
The election may set alarm bells for the seasoned campaigner, with just a year and three months to go for the 2022 electoral battle.
Churchill, however, remains unfazed. “The ZP election result does not pose any threat to my prospects in 2022. I know that our supporters took the election for granted by not approaching the people. One has to understand that Benaulim ZP constituency had recorded only 8197 votes, which is just half the total number of votes of Benaulim constituency. I am confident my people will see the result and will ensure my victory in 2022,” he added.
The last time Churchill had lost in Benaulim was in the 2002 Assembly election when his opponents had then charged him for being close to the BJP. Did the BJP tag come back to haunt him in the just concluded Zilla Panchayat election? Churchill replied with a firm no and reiterated he has only extended issue-based support.
