Goa warming up to poll season

PANAJI
Goa’s political corridors are abuzz after Chakravyuh Analytica, a Pune-based election management and consulting firm, announced 30 openings for “Assembly Managers” in the State.

The recruitment drive, advertised through an Instagram poster, is being viewed as an early sign of a high-voltage campaign in the run-up to the 2027 Assembly polls.

It has drawn comparisons to the blitzkrieg of late 2021, when Prashant Kishor’s I-PAC orchestrated a dramatic entry for Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in Goa.

Then, young professionals in sharp attire flooded the State’s streets, media spaces and political corridors, building a narrative even though the TMC’s eventual electoral performance was disappointing.

But Chakravyuh’s hiring advertisement has revived memories of that disruptive campaign style.

Chakravyuh Analytica describes itself as a political consulting and marketing outfit, offering services ranging from booth-level mobilisation, door-to-door outreach, digital strategy and influencer collaborations.

While Chakravyuh has not disclosed which political outfit it is working with, efforts to ascertain these details from sources in political parties here have also yielded naught. It would however be interesting to note that recently, Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy CM, Eknath Shinde has made it public that the outfit is aiming to contest 30 seats in Goa in 2027.

The scale of Chakravyuh's recruitment suggests preparations for a serious electoral push and the advertised “Assembly Manager” positions are expected to be constituency-focused roles, overseeing campaign logistics, volunteer networks and voter engagement at the grassroot levels.

Goa is likely to head to the polls in February 2027 with all 40 Assembly seats in contention, although an earlier schedule cannot be ruled out. In the 2022 election cycle, elections to the Goa assembly were clubbed along with Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur by the Election Commission of India.

The BJP, led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, currently holds a dominant position along with its ally the MGP. The Congress is the dominant Opposition party and has only three legislators but is looking for a revival with strategic alliances.

The Aam Aadmi Party, Revolutionary Goans Party, Goa Forward Party and the remnants of the TMC are also expected to contest.

Meanwhile, the entry of professional campaign strategists could significantly alter the dynamics, especially if backed by a major national or regional party.

Political analysts meanwhile say Goa’s political discourse, both on the ground and online, may soon witness a surge in activity reminiscent of the 2021 campaign blitz leading to the polls likely to be held in February 2022.

As the State steadily inches closer to this next big electoral contest, the seeming involvement of professional strategists signals that Goa’s 2027 elections may once again be shaped more by marketing and targeted mobilisation rather than by traditional political party structures and campaign strategies.