AGNELO PEREIRA
A rejuvenated Congress, formidable Independents and rebellion among the karyakartas are all set to spoil the party for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bardez.
The saffron party had cornered a big chunk of seven out of nine seats up for grabs in 2015 Zilla Panchayat (ZP) elections in the taluka. The other two were pocketed by the Independents backed by Porvorim MLA, Rohan Khuante.
Although initially sluggish, Congress has managed to win the psychological battle by fielding candidates in all the nine constituencies.
For the first time Aam Aadmi Party is also in the fray contesting in four seats apparently trying to test the waters at the grassroot-level politics.
While many of the constituencies are expected to witness three-cornered contests, in some the challenge will be multi-cornered, as popular Independent candidates are expected to give both the national parties a run for their money.
In Porvorim, where the stakes are high for the former revenue minister and local MLA, Rohan Khaunte, the two Independent candidates backed by him in Penha-de-Franca and Socorro are expected to give a tough fight to the ruling BJP nominees.
The BJP may have pulled the rug from beneath the feet of three-time ZP member Gupesh Naik in Penha-de-Franca by last minute declaring the seat as Women OBC, the Khaunte camp has managed to neutralize that factor by fielding Naik’s wife for the post.
But for the Porvorim MLA, the Achilles heel are the presence of Congress candidates which could divide the secular vote and make life easy for the saffron party.
A keen three-cornered fight is also expected in Reis-Magos where Saligao MLA Jayesh Salgoankar has backed an independent candidate.
For the BJP, the biggest setback came in Tivim, where the former BJP MLA Kiran Kandolkar has rebelled and fielded his wife and aide in Colvale and Sirsaim constituencies.
The BJP tried to talk to the former MLA and even held back declaration of the name of Colvale candidate until the last day but the former legislator refused to budge from his belligerent stand.
Kiran Kandolkar and the neo-BJP MLA Nilkant Halarnkar cannot see eye-to-eye as both have contested against each other in Tivim.
Kandolkar refused to say anything against the BJP but chose to blame Halarnkar for trying to divide the karyakartas and attempting to destroy the party hierarchy in the constituency.
“Just wait and watch. We will create history in Tivim by winning both the ZP seats,” a confident Kandolkar told The Goan.
Albeit a late entrant, after the initial flip flop on whether to contest on party lines or not, Congress has a fighting chance to open its account in Aldona and Calangute but the presence of AAP candidates may just upset its applecart. The two Congress stalwarts from Calangute “ former MLA and Congress spokesperson, Agnelo Fernandes and former sarpanch Joseph Sequeira “ have joined hands to campaign vigorously for the Congress candidate in the coastal village.
Both Fernandes and Sequeira view this election as a stepping stone to the 2022 assembly election and therefore will vie with one another to put their best foot forward.
The grand old party has also a good chance to pull it off in Siolim and Anjuna constituencies although Dorris Dias has rebelled and filed her nomination in Siolim as an Independent after being denied Congress candidature.
The Siolim MLA, Vinod Paliencar along with some sarpanchas in the constituency have thrown their lot behind the Congress candidates in Siolim and Anjuna.
For the first time to contest a grassroot election in the State, AAP is relying on its recent historic assembly victory in Delhi and its achievements in the education and health sectors.
The party can hope to win, only if en masse Congress votes shift to AAP a la Delhi, which at least for the moment looks very unlikely.
The MGP has failed to field a single candidate in Bardez, which once upon a time was considered the bedrock of the party.
The Goa Forward Party was on record that it would not contest the elections on party lines but allowed its party legislators and workers to support the candidates of their choice.
