Digambar Kamat with his supporters after he returned to the BJP in 2022.
MARGAO
Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Digambar Kamat appears to be on the move in his political fiefdom of Margao, signalling that the seasoned eight-time MLA has begun preparing for the next electoral battle in right earnest.
With the Election Commission of India expected to sound the poll bugle in December and his young challengers — Prabhav Naik, Savio Coutinho and Chirag Naik — having already kick-started their campaigns for the 2027 Assembly elections, Kamat appears to have shifted into election mode, intensifying his focus on development works in his home constituency.
Whether laying foundation stones for new projects or inaugurating completed works, Kamat has been making his presence felt on the ground. With his challengers seeking to shape the political narrative around Margao’s infrastructure and civic shortcomings during his tenure as MLA, the former Chief Minister appears determined to put development at the centre of his political pitch as he prepares for what could be the ninth electoral outing of a career spanning more than three decades.
For a politician who has won eight successive electoral contests in Margao, including a by-election, the political challenge this time is markedly different from those he has faced in the past. Having switched from the BJP to the Congress in 2005 before returning to the BJP on September 14, 2022, Kamat has his task cut out to demonstrate that his personal appeal remains intact despite the change in political allegiance.
Since the 2005 by-election, Kamat’s electoral fortunes have been closely linked to the support he has enjoyed among traditional voters, including minorities and residents of migrant-dominated areas such as Moti Dongor, Azad Nagar, Fakir Bandh and Khareband.
His defection to the BJP, however, was not without political consequences. The move drew criticism from sections of his traditional support base and raised questions about whether he could successfully transfer his personal vote bank to a party that had long been his principal political rival in Margao.
The BJP’s performance in Margao during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections added another dimension to the debate. Despite Kamat’s spirited campaigning for the party’s candidate, the BJP managed only a slender lead in the constituency, prompting questions about the extent to which his traditional support base had remained loyal to him following his change of allegiance.
While Lok Sabha poll results do not necessarily translate into Assembly-level voting patterns, the outcome offered a political pointer to the challenges Kamat could face in consolidating his position within the BJP.
PWD portfolio gives him a development edge
His induction into the Pramod Sawant-led Cabinet, with the significant PWD portfolio, appears to have given Kamat a fresh lease of political life. Since taking charge, the portfolio has provided him with an opportunity to influence infrastructure development in Margao and reinforce his presence in the constituency.
For Kamat, the strategy seems straightforward: showcase development on the ground, maintain direct contact with constituents and counter the narrative being advanced by his younger rivals on the city’s infrastructure and civic issues.
As Margao begins to warm up to the next Assembly election, the larger question is whether Kamat can retain the personal vote bank that has sustained him through successive electoral contests, even after switching sides.
For now, Kamat appears to be leaving little to chance. His increased presence on the ground and the steady pace of development-related activities suggest that the groundwork for the next electoral contest is already under way. For the veteran politician, the task is clear: safeguard his traditional support base and demonstrate that his hold over Margao remains as formidable as it has been for much of the past three decades.
Projects launched and completed in Margao as announced by the PWD Minister
MRI, Echo, nephrology units at Hospicio South Goa district hospital. Hospital bed shortage still remains a major issue, but Kamat reminds the media to compare the situation at the old Hospicio and the district hospital with the bed strength going up from 250 to 500 beds with ICU and other facilities. On the anvil is a Cathlab at Hospicio with angiography and angioplasty facilities
Ayush hospital commissioning next month
KTC bus ring service launched in Margao for commuters for city commuters
Distributed sound system for city temples. Similar distribution on the cards for chapels as well
Work on the refurbishment of the South Goa Comunidade building underway
Renovation and restoration of Margao Municipal building to be launched on Monday along with the puzzle parking project behind the MMC building
Projects awaiting inauguration is the Rawanfond bridge; the fire hydrant system in the congested markets
Gasification plant at Sonsodo
Infrastructure road and health projects on the anvil
Kamat has announced three major infrastructure projects in the city with Centre’s funding. A flyover at the Comba railway crossing costing Rs 100 crore; a link road connecting the city to the Western bypass near the Vidya Vikas Mandal education hub at a cost of Rs 21 crore and redevelopment of the existing NH66 road passing through the city, including redevelopment of the crumbling traffic islands at a cost of Rs 40 crore before de-notification of the NH66
Proposed ESI medical college to start functioning from the academic year 2027
A Rs 24 crore trauma and critical care unit at the Hospicio hospital
