Rival party presidents from BJP, Congress and GFP share one constituency
MARGAO
Three party presidents, one constituency. Has Fatorda emerged as a political power centre in the State?
In a remarkable political coincidence, the presidents of Goa’s three key political parties—the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the opposition Congress, and the regional Goa Forward Party (GFP)—all hail from South Goa and are registered voters in the Fatorda Assembly constituency.
The unusual convergence has come into focus following the recent appointment of Girish Chodankar as the new president of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), making Fatorda the common political denominator for the heads of the State’s three prominent parties.
BJP State President Damu Naik, a native of Fatorda, served as the constituency’s MLA for two terms before being appointed to head the party in Goa more than a year ago. Naik remains one of the BJP’s most prominent faces in South Goa politics.
Adding to the political significance of the constituency is Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai, who has represented Fatorda in the Goa Legislative Assembly for three consecutive terms. Sardesai continues to enjoy his own political base in the constituency and will be a person to be closely watched in the run up to the 2027 Assembly elections.
With Chodankar also registered as a voter in Fatorda, all three party chiefs now share the same electoral constituency, despite belonging to rival political camps.
The trio has often found themselves on opposing sides of Goa’s political landscape, particularly Naik and Sardesai, whose rivalry stretches back nearly two decades. The two leaders have locked horns in Assembly elections on multiple occasions since 2007. While Naik emerged victorious in one contest, Sardesai and his political outfit have enjoyed a winning streak in Fatorda, securing successive victories since 2012.
In contrast, Sardesai and Chodankar have never faced each other in an Assembly election. Chodankar’s electoral journey has taken a different course. He first contested the 2002 Assembly election from Margao against former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat before later contesting the Panaji Assembly by-election and the North Goa Lok Sabha constituency.
Relations between the Congress and the Goa Forward Party have oscillated between cooperation and confrontation over the years. Political observers recall that Sardesai and Chodankar were once bitter rivals dating back to their Youth Congress days. However, sources indicate that the two leaders had largely set aside their differences in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
According to party insiders, Sardesai had reportedly backed Chodankar’s candidature for the Congress ticket during the parliamentary polls, although the move ultimately did not materialise.
Reacting to Chodankar’s appointment as GPCC President, Sardesai described the decision as an internal matter of the Congress party. At the same time, he acknowledged sharing cordial relations with the newly appointed Congress chief.
When reporters pointed out the coincidence of the BJP, Congress and Goa Forward Party presidents all being associated with Fatorda constituency, Sardesai responded with a touch of political wit.
“Fatorda is the way forward for the State,” he remarked, turning the conversation into a subtle endorsement of his party’s vision while underscoring Fatorda’s growing prominence in Goa’s political landscape.
As Goa prepares for future electoral battles, Fatorda now finds itself uniquely positioned at the centre of the State’s political discourse, with the presidents of the ruling party, the principal opposition and a key regional force all calling the constituency their political home.
