Captured by : PHOTO FOR GODFREY_2
Photos of Filipe Neri Rodrigues and Anthony Rodrigues in poll gear
MARGAO
Call the ensuing battle a “friendly fight” or simply a “seat-sharing” arrangement, but friends-turned-foes Congress’ Filipe Neri Rodrigues and Goa Forward party nominee Anthony Babush Rodrigues are prepared for any eventuality to lock horns for the Velim seat in the February 4 poll.
Velim had become the bone of contention between the two parties, with both staking firm claim on the seat. However, with reports indicating that the Congress and the GFP leadership may not stand on false prestige and allow the alliance to crumble over the Velim seat, both Filipe and Anthony are apparently gearing up for the worst scenario to cross swords against each other, whether alliance or not.
A ride down Velim constituency along the NH-17 revealed that both the Congress and Goa Forward camps are gearing up for the electoral battle. If hectic activity could be witnessed at Dramapur-Sirlim, the home village of three-time and former Minister Filipe Neri, Goa Forward workers and Anthony sympathisers are on the job preparing the ground for the battle.
While Filipe Neri has been gearing up for the 2017 battle over the last one year, he has stepped up his campaign for his political comeback since the day Congress released the first list of candidates for the ensuing election. In fact, with the Congress giving the all clear signal to his candidature after his name figured in the first list of candidates, Filipe Neri along with supporters have hit the door-to-door campaign in a big way. “It’s not that I was not ready for the battle, but with the Congress announcing my candidature, I am approaching the voters with the Congress symbol in hand," he told The Goan.
Filipe Neri tried to down play reports that Velim constituency may witness a friendly fight between Congress and Goa Forward. “I do not understand all this talk on friendly fight all about. Since I have been declared the Congress candidate, I have to go all out on the field and win the seat for my party. It is immaterial which party or candidate is in the fray," Filipe Neri said.
Arch rival, Anthony Rodrigues, on the other hand, says he is not running away from facing Filipe Neri or any other candidate in the coming election. “When the people decide the fate of the contesting candidates, I need not fear about anyone when the people of Velim are with me. I have prepared myself for the electoral battle to meet any eventuality long ago," Anthony said.
A day after he threw a birthday bash at the Chinchinim ground, which was attended by the Goa Forward top brass, Anthony was holed up in the Carxetta-Velim area of the constituency, visiting door-to-door to drum up support for his candidature.
While Anthony is scheduled to file his nomination papers on Monday coinciding with Opinion Poll Day, Filipe will follow suit a day on Tuesday, after seeking blessings of St Anthony at the Deussua-Chinchinim Chapel.
