MARGAO
In 2012, the Bharatiya Janata Party created history when the Lotus bloomed for the first time ever in Cuncolim constituency in the Assembly election.
Riding on a strong anti-Congress wave and former Chief Minister, late Manohar Parrikar’s charisma, Cuncolim had voted for BJP MLA Rajan Naik to tame former Congress Minister Joaquim Alemao.
Ten years down the lane, the saffron brigade is working overtime to repeat the feat in Cuncolim in 2022.
The BJP leadership seemed to have veered round the view that Congress-turned-BJP MLA Clafacio Dias is the best bet for the party to keep the saffron flag flying high in Cuncolim in the ensuing polls. In a constituency, where caste and religious factors dominate the election, BJP’s agenda is clear “ consolidate the traditional party vote in the Cuncolim municipal area, besides Balli and Ambaulim and capitalize on Clafacio’s personal vote amongst the minorities in the villages to retain the seat.
Consider this. When Chief Minister Pramod Sawant descended on Cuncolim to partake in Clafacio’s birthday celebrations during the weekend, he preferred to ride pillion on a Bullet motorcycle at a two-wheeler rally, carrying the saffron flags. Observers interpreted the Chief Minister’s move as an attempt to keep the party workers and supporters in Cuncolim Municipal area in high spirit.
By late evening, the Chief Minister was in the minority-dominated villages of Chandor and Guirdolim. The saffron flags went missing around the venues of inaugurations and laying of foundation stones. Instead, the whole focus of attention lay centered on MLA Clafacio, knowing well that the Cong-turned-BJP MLA is well connected with the villages spanning over two decades.
BJP’s game-plan in Cuncolim appears plain and simple “ go all out to consolidate the party vote bank in Cuncolim municipal areas -- Balli and Ambaulim to seek votes from the minorities in the villages for Clafacio to storm the Congress fort again.
In its anxiety to consolidate the core vote, the BJP leadership may go all out to secure the decisive Desai (Maratha) vote. Local observers say former Minister Joaquim Alemao shares a personal rapport with the Desai community since his days as a minister.
Observers say the BJP is eyeing on the crucial Desai (Maratha) vote. Chief Minister’s sister is married in Cuncolim and his brother-in-law Videsh Desai is a two-time Cuncolim municipal councillor. Observers say the party may go all out to consolidate the vote on the plank that vote for Clafacio is vote for Pramod Sawant to return back in the Chief Minister’s saddle in 2022.
A glance at the voting pattern of last two elections, in 2012 and 2017 would show that Joaquim Alemao could not retain Cuncolim due to his poor showing in the villages comprising of Macazana, Chandor, Guirdolim, Paroda and Ambaulim.
In these two elections, Joaquim Alemao proved his strength in the Cuncolim municipal areas, but his attempt to make inroads in the village had somewhat come a cropper.
On the other hand, Clafacio managed to virtually sweep the election in the villages before he managed to scrape through by 30-odd votes in 2017. Against this backdrop, the saffron brigade seems to have put a plan in place to consolidate the party vote base in Cuncolim municipal area of Balli and hope that Clafacio will garner votes for him on his personal rapport with the minorities in the villages of Macazana, Chandor, Guirdolim and his home village Paroda.
LIKE 2012, BJP HOPING FOR
SPLIT IN CONGRESS VOTES
Chief Minister riding pillion in Cuncolim municipal area which is home to crucial Desai (Maratha) votes.
MARGAO: If the Lotus bloomed in Cuncolim in 2012, a split in the Congress vote was partly attributed to the BJP’s victory. As the Alemaos and bureaucrat-turned-politician Elvis Gomes are expected to fight for the Congress ticket, the BJP may be only hoping that one of them throw their hat in the electoral ring as an independent.
That’s not all. The party is also expecting a host of candidates, right from the UGDP, Revolutionary Goans, to the Aam Aadmi Party, and not to mention Congress rebels, to contest the polls, only hoping the presence of more players in the battlefield will go in the party’s favour.
In 2012, Adv John Monteiro, who contested the election as an independent, polled close to 5,000 votes, enough to stop Joaquim Alemao’s innings in Cuncolim. That explains why the ruling party will be hoping for a split in the Congress vote to keep the party in good stead in the ensuing polls.
