MAPUSA
Congress did manage to unsettle BJP’s equation in Bardez but it made no difference to the final calculation of the saffron party which did exceptionally well in other parts of the State.
By bagging four seats out of the seven in the taluka, the grand old party managed to salvage some pride after it suffered reverses in its stronghold in Salcete.
The loss in its Salcete bastion was compensated by the gains made in Bardez, and more importantly, saving Congress from being reduced to a single digit.
In the 2012 assembly polls, Congress drew a blank in Bardez, while in 2017, the party bagged just one seat with Nilkanth Halarnkar winning from Tivim. However, Halarnkar defected from Congress and joined the BJP midway.
Except for the blip in Mapusa, former minister Michael Lobo’s ‘Together for Bardez’ campaign has paid off in favour of Congress.
Lobo retained his Calangute seat with a much better margin than the last election. He also managed to break the jinx that no MLA can win a third time in a row in the coastal constituency. But notably, he won the election this time by swapping parties. His earlier two victories on a trot were on the BJP symbol.
Lobo’s choice in Saligao, Kedar Naik, also overcame a strong favourite and incumbent MLA Jayesh Salgaonkar, who contested on the BJP banner.
But the victory of Delilah Lobo from Siolim will remain as the most impressive showdown in Bardez. She won the seat amidst all odds, including a vitriolic campaign by the BJP.
Former Advocate General and a loyal Congressman, Carlos Ferreira, won the Aldona seat in a tough battle against more resourceful candidates from the BJP and TMC.
Notably, Porvorim and Tivim were not in the scheme of the ‘Together for Bardez’ campaign of Lobo.
Despite being its stronghold, the BJP managed to win only three seats “ Porvorim, Mapusa and Tivim.
While Rohan Kuante from Porvorim was a sure shot seat for the saffron brigade, Mapusa and Tivim was a hard-fought victory.
While youthful Joshua D’Souza managed to put it across his more experienced Congress opponent Sudhir Kandolkar, BJP’s Nilkanth Halarnkar also managed to swing the tide and win the Tivim seat against the TMC candidate.
