the goan I network
MARGAO
The battle for the South Goa seat has found its echo in the bastis, shanties and slums in the commercial capital.
With the migrant vote bank spread across Moti Dongor, Azad Nagar, Fakirbandh, Sodhuband and Khareband-Kharelem, pegged in the region of 4000-5000, no political group or the contesting candidates can afford to ignore this crucial vote bank, which can make or break the fortune of any candidate.
If the BJP had managed to break into the migrant vote bank to some extent in 2014 Lok Sabha, the Congress is out to defend its fortress this time.
Traditionally, the migrant bastis had voted for the sitting Congress MLA Digambar Kamat. Popularly known as “Baba” by his ardent followers and sympathizers across the slums, the migrant vote has stood by Digambar Kamat over the years “ right from Moti Dongor to Azad Nagar, Fakirbandh to Khareband.
That Digambar has retained his stronghold over the migrant areas was amply evident in the 2017 Assembly election, when the former Chief Minister won the Margao seat for the sixth time in a row in his political career spanning 25 years.
Against this backdrop, Sunday saw the Congress MLA, who is also the chief campaign manager of the Congress party, making his presence felt across the migrant inhabited areas of the city. Wearing a Congress cap and a scarf, Kamat along with his dedicated band of supporters, including councillors, moved house to house in the bastis of Moti Dongor and Fakirband with a plea to vote for the Congress.
“The Margao MLA needs no introduction in our areas. We call him our Baba because he cares for us and protects our interest. We will vote for the candidate recommended by our MLA,” a slum dweller told The Goan. In fact, not many in the bastis will personally know Congress candidate Francisco Sardinha, but they will cast their vote for him as per the Margao MLA’s diktat.
In fact, Kamat did not spend much time in his strongholds as he hopped from one slum to the other, trying to complete campaigning in these areas by Sunday. He only told them to vote for the Congress party and its symbol, knowing well that his simple message will be enough to bring votes for the party candidate Sardinha.
The migrant areas of Margao had been the BJP strongholds when Kamat was the party MLA between 1994 till 2005 when he decided to quit the party and join the Congress. Since then, the Congress has pocketed the migrant vote primarily because of Kamat’s influence in these areas, barring minor setbacks.
The Margao MLA, who had retained the seat for the sixth time in a row with an unprecedented margin of 4000-odd votes in the 2017 Assembly election, has already given a call to his workers to give a huge lead for the Congress candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. And, the migrant vote bank as usual is expected to play its own role in influencing the fortunes of the Congress party.
