MARGAO
While many a BJP sitting Catholic MLA managed to save their fort from crumbling in the wake of Congress resurgence in the election, party’s former coalition partners from Salcete, including sitting Minister, Avertano Furtado, former Minister, Mickky Pacheco, besides MLAs Benjamin Silva and Caitu Silva all bite the dust in the husting.
Blame it on the BJP tag they were carrying with them for their close association with the BJP over the last five years or otherwise, the Congress surge in the minority heartland this time round proved too hot to handle. The development plank, these MLAs heavily banked on to keep them in good stead in the election, seemed to have crumbled with the rival playing the BJP tag in the minority heartland.
In fact, if these four members of the outgoing Assembly were responsible for reducing the overall tally of the Congress in the 2012 election, the Congress returned back in the constituencies of Navelim, Nuvem, Velim and Benaulim with a vengeance, with the party candidates defeating these MLAs with convincing margins.
Take the case of Navelim, where Salcete’s lone Minister, Avertano Furtado could not retain his seat.
While state Congress president, Luizinho Faleiro returned to the constituency with ease despite talks of surgical strike by the BJP, Avertano could not overcome the wave in favour of the Congress
party. When the media questioned him whether the BJP tag drowned him in the election in a constituency dominated by the minorities, Avertano said he cannot explain why he could not retain the seat when he had ushered in the development of the constituency. “I was associated with the BJP to bring development projects in Navelim. I really do not know whether the people did not voted for me because of my association with the BJP,” he said.
Benaulim Independent MLA Caitu Silva echoed similar sentiments. “I do not know whether the BJP tag has affected me or not since I had supported the BJP government to get developmental projects in Benaulim”, he said.
On the other hand, Goa Su Raj Party leader, Mickky Pacheco said he do not think that that his close association with the BJP is responsible for his defeat in the husting. “I had given the BJP 5000-odd votes in the Lok Sabha election. I think something has gone wrong somewhere. The problem could be technical in nature,” he said.
Incidentally, Mickky had left the counting hall after round one of counting after it became apparent that his Congress rival was heading for a huge victory.
Outgoing Velim MLA Benjamin Silva was not available for comment, but he had to face the heat in the run up to the election over his association with the BJP over the last five years.
