the goan I network
MARGAO
Three days to go for the April 23 Lok Sabha poll, and the Congress is looking forward to minority stronghold Salcete to repeat the 2017 Assembly election feat and help party candidate Francisco Sardinha regain the seat from the BJP.
On the other hand, the BJP has gone about consolidating its traditional vote in Salcete and appears looking forward to its NDA member, Goa Forward party to stop the Congress’ free run in the minority heartland.
Unlike 2014 election, when the Congress had just two MLAs in the eight Assembly constituencies in Salcete, the party is in a commanding position this time round, with six out of the eight seats represented by the party MLAs, with the BJP nowhere in the scene.
In 2014, the Congress had polled around 83,928 votes in the eight Assembly segments of Salcete as against 54,738 votes by sitting MP Narendra Sawaikar, giving Congress’ Reginaldo Lourenco close to 30,000 lead in the taluka. This time round, however, Congress leaders are aiming for a record margin of votes in Salcete to dilute BJP’s surge, if any, in the hinterland and in the neighbouring Mormugao taluka. For, party leaders are aware though Reginaldo had managed to garner a lead close to 30,000 votes in Salcete, the Congress had lost the seat to the BJP by a margin of 32,330 votes.
In fact, with the six of the eight Assembly seats in Salcete being represented by the party MLAs, the Congress has fixed a target of 50,000 vote lead from the taluka. That leaders like Digambar Kamat went on record to announce that each of the traditional boroughs such as Curtorim, Velim, Nuvem and Navelim will give a 12,000-vote lead for Sardinha is apparently based on the assumption that the BJP isn’t that strong in these segments compared to Margao and Fatorda.
Party leaders, in private, however, preferred to keep their fingers crossed in achieving the 50,000 vote lead target in Salcete as the margin is in a way dependent on the turn out of voters. A high percentage of voting in segments such as Velim, Benaulim, Curtoirm, Navelim and Nuvem, besides Cuncolim is expected to give the Congress an edge over rival BJP in the ultimate analysis.
On the other hand, the BJP is fighting the 2019 Lok Sabha poll in the minority heartland with their back to the wall. Unlike 2014, when sitting MP Sawaikar had the strong backing of then MLAs Avertano Furtado, Mickky Pacheco and Caitu Silva, which had helped the BJP reduce the Congress tally of votes, thanks to former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s strategy, the momentum is clearly missing this time round.
Take note, that in the run up to the April 23 poll, the BJP had gone about consolidating its traditional vote in Cuncolim, Navelim and Curtorim by getting rebel leaders and social workers into the party fold. The party is also banking on Goa Forward chief and Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai to stop any Congress surge in Fatorda, but how all these measures will help party candidate Narendra Sawaikar remains to be seen.
As things stand today, unlike 2014, the Congress appears going to the Lok Sabha poll from a position of strength, even though the party is not ruling the State coupled with the fact that the Aam Aadmi Party factor will continue to haunt the Congress candidate till the polling day.
