MARGAO
The unfolding of political developments in the key constituencies of Velim and Cuncolim over the weekend has a message loud and clear --- the race for the Congress ticket has picked up for the 2022 Assembly elections due six months from now.
In fact, political observers say the developments have all the portents of changing the complexion of the game in these two constituencies with the entry of bureaucrat-turned-politician Elvis Gomes in Cuncolim and former Independent MLA Benjamin Silva in neighbouring Velim.
The reasons are not far too seek. Take the case of Cuncolim constituency. Before former Aam Admi Party (AAP) convenor Elvis Gomes could embrace the Congress after overcoming hurdles along the way, the Alemaos virtually enjoyed a free run in the Cuncolim Congress unit. After Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias quit the Congress to embrace the BJP in 2019, the father-son duo of Joaquim and Yuri Alemao was quick to return back to the party before Elvis or any other leader could fill the void left behind by Clafacio and with an eye on the 2022 election.
They first ensured that their close aide Assiz Norohna head the Cuncolim Block Congress Committee to establish their hold over the party. And, the duo went on to prove a point or two in the Cuncolim Municipal polls after the Congress-backed panel stormed to power in the civic body.
The entry of bureaucrat-turned-politician Elvis Gomes into the Congress has only sent a signal that it will not be a cakewalk for Yuri in the battle for the prized ticket. He knows for sure that in Elvis, he has a formidable candidate vying for the prized ticket to contest the 2022 polls.
The Alemaos have their vote bank in Cuncolim since Joaquim had twice won the seat in 2002 and 2007 before he lost the following two elections. In 2017, Joaquim quit the Congress after being denied the ticket and had almost upset the Congress game when he lost by a mere 33 votes.
The understanding in the Alemao camp reads like this “ if Joaquim could lose by a mere 33 votes as an independent, it will not be difficult for son Yuri to make it to the Assembly on the Congress ticket given the huge presence of Congress vote in the constituency.
Elvis Gomes’ political debut in 2017 from his home Cuncolim ended on a losing note, but he did manage to poll 3437 votes under the Aam Admi Party banner, not known to many five years ago.
Political observers say that Elvis may be a new comer in the Congress, but he is expected to use his ‘son of the soil’ image to his advantage on the home turf in the battle for the ticket.
Benjamin could upset a
few apple carts in Velim
MARGAO
The uproar and turmoil in the Velim Congress camp over Benjamin Silva’s entry into the party-fold was anticipated in political circles, both within the Congress and outside.
Reason: The former Independent MLA is perceived a strong contender for the party ticket to take on Congress-turned-BJP MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues in Velim, a constituency which is not new to the former footballer-turned-politician, having fought as many as three electoral battles since 2007.
In fact, the race for the Congress ticket had begun after Salcete lone Minister Filipe Neri quit the Congress in 2019. Since then, many saw the emergence of South Goa district Congress chief Joe Dias as a prospective candidate for the 2022 election. The Zilla panchayat polls, however, changed the complexion of the game. After the Congress showed unexplained and unjustified hesitancy to field a candidate in Velim, the void was sought to be filled by Velim Sarpanch Savio D’Silva and his supporters. Savio and his supporters not only embraced the Congress, but they worked to get Julio Fernandes elected to the South Goa Zilla panchayat, overnight catapulting him as a contender for the Velim Congress ticket.
Since then, there’s been no looking back for Savio and his group as they went about the job of consolidating the gains with an eye on the Congress ticket.
Till last week, both the district Congress Chief Joe and Velim Sarpanch Savio were perceived as the contenders for the Velim Congress ticket. The entry of the former Independent MLA, however, has changed the game in the race for the prized Congress ticket.
Sources say a section of Congress leaders had been working behind the scenes to get Benjamin in the party since the time Filipe Neri quit the Congress. These leaders contended that Benjamin may help defeat Filipe Neri in the 2022 election given his impressive election record since 2007. In the bargain, however, Savio and his group felt let down by the decision to induct Benjamin into the party, with supporters giving vent to their feelings on the day of the former MLA’s entry.
Riding on an anti-Congress wave in 2012, Benjamin had defeated Filpe Neri by a convincing margin, before he extended support to the Manohar Parrikar government. Five years later, Filipe Neri avenged his defeat in 2017 with a 5000-vote odd margin. Benjamin had lost that election, but he ended up polling 5120 votes, which the former MLA now banks upon to stake claim for the Congress ticket.
