Workers want party to contest on its own; key questions however remain: Can Cong checkmate the steady rise of AAP, especially in Salcete? Can party consolidate the anti-BJP vote in its favour, ensure the vote doesn’t get fragmented among multiple parties?
The Congress is celebrating the victory of Capt Viriato Fernandes in the 2024 LS polls. Can the Congress halt the rise of Aam Aadmi Party in Goa and consolidate the anti-BJP vote in its favour in the upcoming polls?
MARGAO
Post-Delhi Assembly election which saw the rise and fall of Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, voices are heard loud and clear in the Congress camp, especially in party stronghold of minority-dominated Salcete that the main Opposition party should sever ties with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and go alone in the 2027 Assembly polls.
The Goa Congress leadership too has maintained silence to the ‘unity’ tunes played by Goa AAP leadership to checkmate the saffron brigade and dislodge the BJP in the 2027 elections, sending confusing signals over the party’s future relationship with the party’s allies, more so the AAP.
In fact, as the Congress has kick-started constituency-wise meetings to strengthen the organisation ahead of the upcoming elections, a key question has come to stare at the Congress leadership – can the Congress checkmate the steady rise of the AAP in Goa, especially in party’s stronghold Salcete before the State goes for the Assembly polls in 2027? And, more importantly, can the Congress consolidate the anti-BJP vote in its favour and ensure that the vote does not get fragmented amongst a host of players vying for the same space to dislodge the BJP and form the government in 2027?
The Congress needs to answer these crucial questions not only in the light of AAP’s debacle in the just concluded Delhi Assembly election, but against the backdrop of the 2022 Assembly election results, where the Congress fort had crumbled in Salcete over a vertical split in the anti-BJP vote; AAP winning two seats in the minority dominated Benaulim and Velim; debutants Revolutionary Goans Party making deep inroad in its territory and the Trinamool Congress eating into its vote bank.
Congress’ resurgence after the party retained the South Goa Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 elections seemed to have recharged the rank and file, with many clamouring the party to go alone in the 2027 Assembly polls. AAP’s rout in Delhi has only made voices against tie up with Arvind Kejriwal-led party grow louder and louder in the Congress party in Goa.
The moot question, however, remains unanswered – has the Congress capitalised on the party’s 2024 Lok Sabha victory in South Goa by consolidating the anti-BJP vote in its favour and is now in a position to go alone in the 2027 Assembly elections sans electoral alliances with like-minded parties fighting for the same secular/ minority vote?
AAP’s steady rise in Salcete since 2017
It’s an open secret that the Aam Aadmi Party has seen a steady rise in minority-dominated Salcete since the Arvind Kejriwal-led party made a debut in Goa in the 2017 elections. No doubt, AAP had failed to open an account in the 2017 electionss, but the party heralded its arrival in Goa by polling significant votes in all the eight Assembly segments, more so in the minority dominated areas of Benaulim, Velim and Nuvem, besides Cuncolim and Navelim.
Having laid the foundation in the 2017 elections, there was no looking back for AAP, as the party went about expanding its base with dedicated volunteers, spread in the constituencies of Benaulim, Velim, Nuvem, Curtorim and Navelim.
The party received a big boost in the 2020 Zilla Panchayat polls fought on party lines when the ‘Broom’ swept away established players in the fray to win the Benaulim ZP seat – AAP’s first electoral success in Goa. While AAP Hanzel Fernandes had won the seat by polling 3,071 votes, Congress candidate Royla Fernandes had polled 2,617 votes. NCP’s Menino de Bandar polled 2,489 votes.
AAP retained the Benaulim ZP seat in the 2024 by-poll when party candidate Joseph Pimenta, backed by the INDI Alliance, won by a comfortable vote margin.
With Arvind Kejriwal ruling Delhi, local AAP leaders went about systematically to bring ‘Bodol’ change in Goa, promising implementation of the Delhi model in Goa, providing for free electricity, water and schemes for the people of Goa.
People of Benaulim and Velim, which had voted for AAP in significant numbers in the 2017 Assembly elections, once again rallied behind party candidates Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva respectively in the 2022 Assembly polls, electing the duo to the Goa Legislative Assembly.
AAP’s victory in Benaulim and Velim, however, saw the Congress’ slump in Salcete from its pre-eminent position, affecting the party’s overall tally of seats. With AAP pocketing its two sure seats, Congress could manage to win just three out of the eight Salcete seats, with one seat each going to the Goa Forward party (Fatorda), BJP (Navelim) and Independent (Curtorim).
Against this backdrop, it’s not surprising to hear Congress workers complaining that AAP has grown in Goa at the cost of the Congress and in party strongholds.
Despite the electoral debacle in Delhi, AAP Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas asserted that AAP has come to stay in Goa, indicating the party is gearing up for the upcoming ZIlla Panchayat poll scheduled in November and the 2027 Assembly election irrespective of the alliance with the Congress.
Host of players vying for the anti-BJP space
Besides Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress will have to grapple with regional outfits such as the Goa Forward Party, Revolutionary Goans Party, besides national parties, including the Mamata Didi-TMC, NCP (Sharad Pawar) and others, which had in the past made deep inroads in its strongholds.
The Revolutionary Goans Party, which had upset the Congress’ applecart in Salcete in the 2022 Assembly elections by making deep inroads in its territory, has already decided to go alone in the coming elections, including the 2027 Assembly elections.
In the 2022 Assembly elections, the Congress had entered into a tie-up with the Goa Forward party, leaving the Fatorda seat and other seats for the regional party to contest. Will the Congress continue to do business with the Vijai Sardesai-led Goa Forward party in 2027, by leaving the Fatorda seat for the regional party? And, how would the Congress go about with other national parties, which are members of the INDI Alliance, such as the TMC and NCP?
AAP’s vote tally in Salcete in 2017
Cuncolim 3,437
Nuvem 3,389
Velim 3,403
Curtorim 2,711
Margao 1,832
Benaulim 4,182
Navelim 1,287
Fartorda 1,479
TOTAL 21,720
