MAPUSA
The elections are done and dusted but the question whether the BJP will be able to hold on to its stronghold of Bardez or will former minister Michael Lobo be able to achieve the ‘Together for Bardez’ goal remains hazy.
Bardez comprises of seven constituencies “ Mapusa, Saligao, Calangute, Siolim, Tivim, Aldona and Porvorim “ the highest number of seats among the five talukas in North Goa and the second largest in the State after Salcete.
While in 2012, BJP nearly swept Bardez winning six out seven seats and Congress drawing a blank, in 2017, the saffron party’s score was reduced to three seats while Congress won the lone Tivim seat.
By the middle of the term, the lone Congress MLA Nilkant Halarnkar defected to BJP and is contesting the current election on BJP ticket.
The BJP has won the Mapusa seat for four terms in a row since 2002 and in the by-election held in 2019 Joshua D’Souza, son of late Francis D’Souza managed to retain the seat for the party.
Once again the focus is on Mapusa as Joshua is trying to make it five terms in a row for the BJP but Congress candidate Sudhir Kandolkar is expected to be a tough cookie and look to deny him that achievement.
In Calangute, the BJP suffered a setback days before the election after its former MLA Michael Lobo quit the party and joined the Congress. The saffron party managed to rope in former sarpanch Joseph Sequeira at the last minute but whether the gamble will pay off will be known only on March 10.
Lobo is trying for a hat-trick win, but the coastal constituency is witnessing a multi-cornered contest and the battle will be worth a watch as AAP and TMC candidates who are in the fray among others are also not pushovers.
In Tivim the fight will be between former MLA Kiran Kandolkar’s wife Kavita and BJP’s Nilkant Halarnkar while Congress is relegated to far third or may be even fourth.
The Siolim seat is expected to witness a battle royal between former minister Michael Lobo’s wife Delilah as Congress candidate and former minister and BJP candidate Dayanand Mandrekar.
In Aldona, it’s a three cornered fight between BJP’s Glenn Ticlo who is aiming for a hat-trick, Congress candidate Carlos Ferreira and former MLA Kiran Kandolkar on TMC.
According to reports, Kandolkar has impregnated BJP’s stronghold in various parts of the constituency putting Ticlo on the back foot and brightening Congress’ fortunes in Aldona.
In an attempt to wrest its hold over Bardez, BJP managed to bring in Rohan Khaunte and Jayesh Salgaokar and fielded them from Porvorim and Saligao respectively.
But this created a rift among its diehard karyakartas in Saligao who rebelled and one of whom contested on Congress ticket and the other Independent.
In Saligao, it’s a straight fight between BJP’s Jayesh Salgaokar and Kedar Naik who quit BJP and got the Congress ticket. The rift among the BJP karyakartas gives an edge to Congress’ Kedar in the constituency.
In Porvorim, Rohan Khaunte is also trying for a hat-trick win and appears to be the only sure shot seat for the BJP in the taluka unless the voters decide to do something different.
