the goan I network
PONDA
Did Congress candidate Mahadev Naik play a tacit role in boosting the chances of MGP candidate, Deepak Dhavalikar, in a bid to defeat BJP’s candidate Subhash Shirodkar in the Shiroda bypoll?
Or did Shirodkar’s sizeable number of personal votes and rapport with voters override strong anti-defection sentiments in the constituency?
These questions formed part of the post-poll analysis and trends being discussed in the constituency among parties and voters alike, after the keenly fought Shiroda bypoll on Tuesday.
All three main candidates in the Shiroda bypoll -- Subhash Shirodkar (BJP), Deepak Dhavalikar (MGP) and Mahadev Naik (Congress) -- were confident of a victory and went on to claim they would win with a good margin.
Many believe that Mahadev Naik may have played a tacit role to give Dhavalikar an edge in the bypoll. “Everyone knows that Mahadev Naik hardly campaigned in Shiroda constituency. Shirodkar was his main rival and Naik would definitely have helped Dhavalikar to win, especially when the MGP supported Congress in the Lok Sabha polls. If this is the case, it could be a victory for Dhavalikar,” said one poll analyst.
When contacted, Mahadev Naik dismissed speculations that he had tacitly supported Dhavalikar in the bypoll.
“There is no question of supporting Dhavalikar, when I was also contesting the poll. I will win by 500-1,000 votes,” Naik said.
Incidentally, voters close to Mahadev Naik said they had supported the MGP candidate in the Shiroda bypoll. “We had been told to vote for the MGP and hence, we have done so,” said one voter.
According to the voter, public anger against BJP candidate Subhash Shirodkar, following his defection from the Congress, was such that many voters from the minority communities in Shiroda had lent their support to Dhavalikar.
Mindful of this possibility, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and many other ministers were camping in Shiroda to persuade voters to back the BJP.
