IN THIS MUNICIPAL CONTEST, VIJAI HAS A POINT TO PROVE

Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai with his team in Blue.

MARGAO
As the battle for the Margao Municipal election entered the crucial stage, with just four days left for polling scheduled on April 23, a host of questions have come to the fore over the manner in which Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai has been going about in his bid to defend his fort from crumbling in the civic polls.

Take note, the ensuing election is significant for the Goa Forward chief in more ways than one. This is the first time that Sardesai is going back to Fatordekars for a mandate post-2017 Assembly election when his regional party propped up the BJP-led government headed by late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, drawing all-round flak, especially from the secular vote.

As the Goa Forward Chief is leaving no stone unturned to hold on to his citadel, questions are already being asked in local political circles how the Municipal election result will shape the political road map, including opposition unity, ahead of 2022 Assembly polls.

Sardesai’s agenda in respect of the ensuing civic polls seemed clear from day one – try and repeat the 2015 performance when the Fatorda Forward has made a clean sweep, winning all the 11 Municipal wards coming under Fatorda constituency.

The way the regional party is going about in Fatorda, leaving nothing for chance, indicates Sardessai’s anxiety, to pocket all the 11 seats at stake. Even if the party fails to repeat the 2015 feat, Sardesai must be anxiously looking forward for a situation wherein he wins in majority wards, a position that will effectively checkmate BJP’s surge in his backyard and provide the handle to play big brother in the civic body.

Political observers say a comfortable victory for the Fatorda Forward panel would only mean a defensive Sardesai emerging strong not only in Fatorda, but in the scheme of opposition unity. With his repeated calls for anti-BJP opposition unity either receiving a cold shoulder or no takers, barring Opposition leader Digambar Kamat, observers say a victory in the Municipal polls may prompt the Fatorda MLA to talk about opposition unity from a position of strength. “All this time, we have only heard Sardesai mooting opposition unity, calling for Team Goa to keep the BJP at bay. The Congress has either cold shouldered him or his plea has received support from individual leaders such as Opposition leader Digambar Kamat. Losing the elections in majority of the wards may put him on the back foot. But, an impressive victory for the Fatorda Forward may embolden Sardesai to assert himself in the scheme of things, including seat sharing, ahead of the Assembly polls. He seemed to be systematically going about his work in the Municipal polls, not just to control the civic body, but play a decisive role in future politics”, remarked an observer.

He added: “Sardesai, it appears, has stitched an alliance with the Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat to create a feel good factor amongst the secular vote in Fatorda. When the Fatorda block Congress decided to go ahead with a panel of candidates, Sardesai preferred to ignore the development, least his comments create bad blood amongst the voters, especially from the minorities”.

At the same time, the Goa Forward Chief seemed to have drawn a road map, wherein he does not want to rely totally on the minority vote to propel him to power. Composition of his candidates for the 11 Municipal wards in Fatorda is evident of his anxiety to reach out to the majority community as well, an area hitherto believed the domain of the ruling BJP. Consider this. In 2015, the Fatorda MLA had fielded as many as nine Catholics, including four ST candidates and two Hindus in the 11 wards. This time round, the Goa Forward chief, as part of social engineering, has given representation to five Hindus, including four candidates hailing from the Bhandari Samai and a candidate belonging to the goldsmith community, which has a sizeable presence in Fatorda’s countryside.