the goan I network
MARGAO
Congress’ new found confidence to form an alternate government has raised many an eyebrow in political circles and have even left the ruling coalition camp confused, fueling speculations on the exact game plan of the main Opposition party in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
While Congress leaders “ right from Leader of the Opposition Babu Kavlekar to incumbent GPCC Chief Shantaram Naik or AICC general secretary in-charge of Goa desk, Dr Chellakumar “ have gone on record saying the Congress will not shy away from fulfilling its constitutional duty of forming an alternate government, coalition partners prefer to take this new found confidence with a pinch of salt.
In fact, sources said the ruling side sees this as a Congress plan to force a mid-term election, on the plank that the Congress may find it easy to go back to the people to get a fresh mandate coupled with the assumption that the regional players in the coalition government may not be prepared to face the electorate within two years of the 2017 Assembly election.
To some extent, political observers, say the regional players supporting the BJP-led coalition government may not be in favour of a mid-term election, even though the BJP may not mind facing the electorate, hoping to cash in on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma if the Assembly polls are held simultaneously with the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
Interestingly, a member of the coalition government raised a pertinent point, whether the BJP leadership at the national level headed by Amit Shah will allow and let the Congress have its way of forming a government in the state or trigger a mid-term election, especially given the fact that the party may not want any wrong signal to go to the country from Goa in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha poll.
What’s interesting to note is the fact that while the Congress has exuded confidence of forming an alternate government, confident that the coalition government will crumble any moment, party leaders are yet to unveil the plan of action how the party can go about forming an alternate government and with which of the regional parties and individuals. In fact, be it Chellakumar or Babu Kavlekar, they seemed to have preferred to keep their cards close to their chest on the question of seeking support from amongst the regional players and individuals, triggering further speculations in the ruling camp.
Says political commentator, Adv Cleofato Coutinho: “Compared to other political parties and players, the Congress may be in a better position to go back to the people in case of mid-term poll. The Congress may even better their 2017 tally, but I do not see any political changes in the state at least till the 2019 Lok sabha poll”. Commenting on Congress’ new found confidence in forming an alternate government, Adv Coutinho said this stems from the fact that the party is living on the hope given by the regional players or individuals that they will support the Congress to form the alternate government. “I think the Congress is living on this hope given by these players. But, it will only remain a hope since those who have given the hope are yet to come out in the open and promise to dump the coalition and extend support to the Congress to form the alternate government”, he said.
