MARGAO
The day of reckoning has finally come for the Congress to pick the best candidate amongst the lot to ward off a strong challenge from the ruling BJP to wrest the South Goa seat in the May 7 Lok Sabha poll.
Post-BJP’s decision to field industrialist Pallavi Dempo as the party candidate for South Goa, the Congress leadership will have to answer a host of questions on the party candidate, including the moot question “ whether a candidate from the majority Hindu or from the minority community will be in a better position to take on the ruling dispensation?
This question has assumed significance and has come to the fore after the BJP declared Pallavi for South Goa, to the shock and surprise of the ruling party cadre, supporters and workers on the ground, who were expecting the leadership to zero in on a candidate from amongst the rank and file.
Assuming Pallavi’s candidature has triggered resentment amongst the BJP cadre and workers, even though the BJP leadership has tried to downplay the situation, hoping things will fall in place as the campaign gains momentum, one question that the Congress may have to grapple with “ who amongst the contenders for the party ticket, sitting MP Francisco Sardinha, ex-GPCC chief Girish Chodankar or Captain Viriato Fernandes will be in a better position to tap the resentment in the enemy camp and convert the same into votes?
In fact, this question has become a subject of debate in Congress circles and outside since the time the BJP zeroed in on Pallavi Dempo as the South Goa candidate. The Girish Chodankar camp says the ex-PCC President will be in a better position to tap the resentment brewing amongst the BJP cadre and workers given that he belongs to the Bhandari Samaj, which is spread across Ponda and Mormugao taluka, besides Margao, Ponda and Curchorem Assembly segments. In fact, a staunch Girish supporter pointed out that the ex-PCC chief may be a natural choice for the aggrieved BJP cadre and voters, especially those hailing from the Bahujan Samaj, to cast their vote for the Congress on the premise that Chodankar’s caste background will keep him in good stead compared to the other two Congress ticket contenders.
On the other hand, supporters of Viriato Fernandes contended that the Navy Captain will gel well with the electorate, irrespective the religious and caste factors, given his background as an ex-serviceman, having served the Armed forces.
Sitting MP Francisco Sardinha’s camp, on the other hand, says the four-time MP has a proven track record having won the South Goa as many as four times with the support of both the majority community and the minorities. Sardinha’s camp insists that the sitting MP has his own voter base in the hinterland talukas of Sanguem, Quepem and other areas as evident by the support he had enjoyed in these areas in the Lok Sabha polls over the years.
Incidentally, both the Sardinha and Viriato camp, however, sound a word of caution to the party leadership “ that the party High Command should not lose sight of the fact that the candidate finally zeroed in by the party should have a smooth sailing in the minority stronghold Salcete. “Any gains in the BJP areas by the so-called resentment amongst the cadre should not be offset by any slip in the party’s traditional strongholds,” they cautioned.
With time running out as the BJP has kick started its Lok Sabha campaign on Tuesday, a political commentator pointed out that the Congress leadership has limited options at its disposal, not ruling out the possibility of the party may go for a gamble in the selection of candidate for South Goa.
Speculations over minority candidates contesting as Ind, political party banner
MARGAO: Even as the Congress is bracing up to finalise party candidate for the South Goa seat, a question is doing the rounds in political circles whether any candidate from minority will contest the May 7 polls as an Independent or on a political banner.
Apart from the Congress and BJP, the regional party, Revolutionary Goans Party has already kicked off its campaign for the South Goa seat. That leaves a pertinent question unanswered whether the coming election will be a triangular battle of the ballot or whether more candidates will jump in the election fray after the Congress declares the party candidate for South Goa.
The Aam Aadmi Party has already extended its support to the INDIA bloc, while the regional Goa Forward party has made a common cause with the Opposition and the Congress.
“Let’s wait and see how the political developments unfold after the Congress unveils its candidate for South Goa. In the past, political leaders had thrown their hat in the Lok Sabha ring not with the objective of winning the seat, but with a clear agenda to divide the Congress voters, especially in Salcete,” remarked a political observer.
