MARGAO
Amidst a bitter battle amongst former MLA Joaquim Alemao and his challengers Clafacio Dias and John Monteiro for a slice in the non-BJP voter base in Cuncolim, incumbent BJP legislator Rajan Naik has disclosed plans to seek re-election on the party ticket in the 2017 Assembly poll.
The lotus had bloomed in Cuncolim in the 2012 Assembly election for the first time after Rajan Naik romped home to victory, riding on a split in the non-BJP votes to defeat Congress nominee Joaquim Alemao by a comfortable margin.
In fact, contrary to reports that the first-time MLA will call it a day on health grounds, Rajan told The Goan that he would contest the 2017 election on the BJP banner again.
“Our party workers have reposed full faith in me. They have requested me to contest the coming poll on the party banner. Bowing to their request, I have decided to seek re-election from Cuncolim. I have also initiated a couple of projects, including the NIT and another commercial project, which I would want completed at the earliest,” Rajan said.
While his political opponents have charged him for his failure to usher in the development of the Cuncolim constituency during the last four years, Rajan has begged to differ. The Cuncolim MLA pointed out that he has got the land acquired for the prestigious project NIT project during his tenure, exuding confidence that people of Cuncolim would give him a second term to get the
project completed.
“My dream commercial project worth nearly Rs 9 crore will soon come up in the market area. The project will shift all business establishments, including the old post office and the shops along the Quepem road, into the new complex and thus ease traffic congestion in the town,” he added.
Local political observers, however, say that what might have given a boost in Rajan’s confidence level is the bitter battle witnessed in Cuncolim between friends turned foes “ Joaquim Alemao and Clafacio Dias “ to outwit each other in the race for the 2017 election. Both Joaquim and Clafacio are leaving nothing to chance as they have made their presence felt across the constituency ahead of the coming poll. So is the case with John Monteiro, who had played spoil sport to Joaquim’s chances of winning the 2012 election by polling close to 5,000 votes, which was enough to defeat the former Urban Development Minister and ensure the first-ever electoral success for the BJP in
Cuncolim constituency.
In the 2012 election, while Rajan and the BJP managed to poll votes in its stronghold of Cuncolim town and Balli, the non-BJP votes were split amongst Joaquim Alemao and John Monteiro in the villages of Chandor, Guirdolim, Macazana, Paroda and Ambaulim “ where the BJP hardly had any presence.
