MARGAO
As youth Congress chief in 2002, Girish Chodankar had taken on the might of then BJP strongman from Margao, Digambar Kamat and lost by a huge margin of 4744 votes.
A decade and half down the line, in his new avatar as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary, Girish is bracing up to take on the State's Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the capital city, where the BJP has never lost an election since 1994.
As the Congress high command has cleared all decks to his candidature to lock horns against the Chief Minister, Girish recalled that in 2002 as well as in 2017 he has been pushed in the electoral ring by the party leadership at the last minute. Like in 2002, where he was not a voter of Margao constituency, his name is not on the electoral list of Panaji constituency in 2017 as well, since he is a registered voter of Fatorda constituency.
"In 2002, I did not ask for the party ticket to cross swords against Digambar in Margao. I was pushed in the battle at the eleventh hour since there was no candidate willing to take on Digambar. I had hardly a fortnight left with me to cover the length and breadth of Margao and meet the people," Girish recalled.
Comparatively, Girish says though the circumstances in 2002 and 2017 are not much different with the Party leadership pushing him in the battle at the eleventh hour, the ground reality in Panaji is different in 2017 from that of Margao in 2002.
"In 2002, there was no wave against Digambar, who was a minister in the Parrikar government. In 2017, we can sense anger brewing against the Chief Minister in the capital city on a host of reasons. This isn't going to be my individual battle, but a people's battle against the Chief Minister. I am just a vehicle to channelize that anger against Parrikar," Girish said.
Drawing comparison between his battle against Digambar and the battle ahead against Manohar Parrikar, the AICC secretary said he was relatively new in politics 15 years ago when he decided to cross swords against Digambar.
"The Congress leadership nominated me as the party candidate in Margao on two grounds, one there was no other candidate and secondly, I was the Goa Pradesh Youth Congress president. I was relatively new in politics then. However, I have gained rich experience over the last decade and half in politics which will come in handy for me in the coming election", he said, while reminding that Panaji is not new for him having been the election agent of Dinar Tarcar in one of the Assembly election.
Girish recalled that he had never asked for a Congress ticket in his career
spanning a decade and half, barring 2007.
"I had never staked claim for the Congress ticket except in 2007 in my home constituency of Fatorda. But, the party leadership preferred to nominate Vijai Sardesai for Fatorda and the party lost the election," Girish said.
On a parting note, Girish said he do not think that his Salcete background will come in the way of his battle against the Chief Minister in Panaji.
"Manohar Parrikar came from Mapusa to contest from Panjai. I am confident that the people of Panaji will welcome me and bring about a change in the capital city,"
Girish added.
