the goan I network
MAPUSA
Presiding on the fate of Mapusa for nearly a quarter of a century is no mean task and former deputy chief minister and Mapusa MLA, Adv Francis D’Souza, also known as Babush among his close friends, did just that.
Not many are aware that Babush started his political career with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and was also elected as the general secretary of the party’s youth wing.
He was first elected as the councillor of Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) in 1985 and, interestingly, on a panel that was backed by MGP.
However, in the 1995 civic elections, he successfully contested on Congress-backed panel.
Twice, he was elected as the chairperson of MMC, first in 1986 and again in his second term in the council in 1998.
Babush first tested the political waters as a candidate for Mapusa assembly constituency in 1989, when he unsuccessfully contested as an Independent.
He had to wait for 10 years before he could get the taste of his big political bite when he was elected as the MLA of Mapusa under the banner of Goa Rajiv Congress Party (GRCP), a breakaway of Congress party that was led by former chief minister, Dr Wilfred D’Souza.
From then, there was no looking back as he had an uninterrupted tenure as the legislator of Mapusa every time winning with a huge margin.
Shortly after the 1999 elections, GRCP was merged with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Babush swayed with the political uncertainties of those years and soon quit NCP to join Congress party in November 5, 1999.
For a short period from 1999 to 2002, he changed a few parties and finally settled down with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In 2002, Babush was first elected as the BJP MLA from Mapusa and from then on, there was no looking back for the affable politician who failed to do anything wrong in his chequered political career.
He was re-elected as BJP MLA in 2007, 2012 and again in the present assembly term of 2017.
Babush’s presence in BJP gave huge boost to the saffron party in the State so much so that in 2012 he was projected as the minority face of BJP.
In 2012 assembly polls, he compelled the party to issue tickets to six minority faces and all six were elected as MLAs in the legislative assembly.
Again in the 2014 parliamentary elections, Babush as minority face went around campaigning around the country.
Among the masses and politicians across the spectrum, Babush was known to be a good human being and never vindictive in his approach.
“What kept Babush going was his good connect with people on personal level across communities and political leanings,” said Mapusa Municipal Council Chairperson Ryan Braganza, who had the ignominy to unsuccessfully contest against him (Babush).
Babush’s close aide and former Mapusa Chairperson, Sandip Falari opined that the Mapsua MLA knew the pulse of the aam aadmi.
“In the name of development, he never bulldozed his way. He took development with a human face without trampling on anyone’s toes. He wanted to take even the last man into confidence,” said Falari.
Among friends, Babush was a good person who never discriminated from rich and poor and reached out to the most needy.
“My relation with Babush is for the last 50 years. He was very carrying and reached out to the poorest of the poor. He had maintained a personal rapport with everyone across party lines. He was the person in my life. In his loss it appears, I have lost a part of my body,” said a teary-eyed Sanjay Walavlekar, a resident of Mapusa and close friend of Babush and Manohar Parrikar.
