INDIA bloc supporters during campaigning for Captain Viriato Fernandes in Curtorim. Captured by : The Goan
MARGAO
In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Congress candidate Reginaldo Lourenco had led the BJP by over 7000-plus votes in his home assembly segment of Curtorim. The Congress again maintained its stranglehold over Curtorim in the following Lok Sabha election in 2019 after MP Francisco Sardinha, a son of the soil, registered an impressive 8000-vote lead over the BJP.
As the ongoing campaign for the May 7 Lok Sabha election enters the crucial phase, there is debate in Curtorim countryside whether the Congress will manage to hold on to the vote lead scored by the party candidates in the previous two Lok Sabha elections.
Reginaldo Lourenco, now an independent MLA, has rallied behind the BJP Lok Sabha candidate Pallavi Dempo, given his status as the alliance partner of the BJP-led government. MP Francisco Sardinha, on the other hand, has stayed away from the election campaign of Congress candidate Captain Viriato Fernandes after his bid seeking re-election for the fifth time did not find favour with the Congress leadership. This has left local Congress leaders including Moreno Rebello, Curtorim Block president Mila Fernandes, Curtorim Zilla Panchayat member Michele Rebello, Joseph Vaz, besides INDIA bloc leaders, AAP leader Roque Mascarenhas to lead the party campaign in Curtorim.
Curtorim has been an important Assembly segment for the Congress in Salcete after Nuvem, Benaulim, Velim and Navelim over the years. Here, the Congress looks forward to a sizeable vote lead in the Lok Sabha polls to strengthen its position in the final scheme of things.
In fact, Congress leaders in private say the Curtorim Assembly segment plays an important role in shaping the party’s victory in Lok Sabha elections, insisting that any slip in the vote count can cost the party in the final vote tally.
The BJP, on the other hand, has been making abortive bids to make inroads into Curtorim in both the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections post-delimitation of Assembly constituencies when a BJP stronghold of Housing Board was merged into the constituency from neighbouring Fatorda in the 2012 election.
INDIA bloc and Aam Aadmi Party leader Roque Mascarenhas exuded confidence that Captain Viriato will take a big lead in Curtorim. “What we have seen in Curtorim is that the people themselves are calling for corner meetings and inviting the alliance leaders to address them. We have never seen like this in recent times. The people themselves are leading the campaign for Captain Viriato and treating the election as a second Opinion Poll,” Roque added.
Reginaldo-BJP combine: BJP’s campaign in support of party candidate Pallavi Dempo received a big boost after independent Curtorim MLA descended on the battlefield in support of her candidature.
While the BJP karyakartas led by ST leader Anthony Barbosa and Dr Sneha Bhagwat had covered a lot of ground in Curtorim in Pallavi’s support, moving door to door across the constituency, Reginaldo’s move to support the BJP came as a booster dose for the ruling party.
Though Reginaldo and the BJP workers did not see eye to eye since the 2022 Assembly election after the BJP ST leader Anthony Barbosa threw his hat in the election ring on the Lotus symbol, the MLA and the BJP karyakartas have been conducting meetings together to drum up support for Pallavi.
Revolutionary Goans Party candidate Rubert Pereira hails from Curtorim and had polled impressive votes in the 2022 Assembly polls.
RGP factor: The Congress will have to grapple with the RGP factor as well in the Curtorim assembly segment. The reason is simple. RGP South Goa candidate Rubert Pereira not only hails from Curtorim but had heralded the party's arrival on the political scene in the 2022 Assembly polls by polling an impressive 3479 votes, leaving many a poll pundit stunned.
Given that Rubert had started his campaign early compared to the BJP and Congress, covering a lot of ground, local political observers are keeping their fingers crossed on how the RGP would fare in the Curtorim segment and its effect on the Congress prospects.
Manora-Arlem-Raia belt: The Manora-Arlem-Raia belt in Curtorim Assembly segment is the cynosure of all eyes in the run-up to the May 7 Lok Sabha polls. Reason: This belt is not only the home for the strong ST community, but the areas have the presence of Salcete's lone Minister Alexio Sequeira, besides being the home of RGP candidate Rubert Pereira, BJP ST leader Anthony Barbosa, and independent MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, who wields considerable influence in the belt.
In fact, the BJP has been working very closely in this belt over the last 2-3 years through BJP leader Anthony Barbosa and others. Though Minister Alexio Sequeira represents the Nuvem constituency, his residence falls in Manora in Curtorim constituency. He is expected to use his influence in support of the BJP candidate.
Against this background, the Congress has a task cut out, to ensure the party fort does not crumble in the May 7 election, not just at the Manora-Arlem-Raia belt, but in the Curtorim segment, and gain the much-needed lead in the constituency.
