MARGAO
The decision of the Aam Aadmi Party to concede the South Goa Lok Sabha seat to the Congress may have brought good news for the Congress camp ahead of the forthcoming general elections. However, the main opposition party faces several obstacles as it prepares to retain the seat and fend off a stiff challenge from the ruling BJP to wrest control of the seat.
Although AAP will refrain from contesting the electoral battle for South Goa, the Congress will need to contend with the Revolutionary Goans factor, as the regional party has already announced its candidate for South Goa.
Another regional party, the Goa Forward Party, which is based in Fatorda and surrounding areas, has not pledged its support to the Congress party. In fact, Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai has categorically refused to support the incumbent South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha if he is renominated by the Congress for South Goa.
Sardesai, however, has ruled out the possibility of the regional party contesting the Lok Sabha polls, although the party chief appears uncertain about the party's strategy for the upcoming elections.
It is worth noting that both the Revolutionary Goans and the Goa Forward Party are regional parties vying for the same secular political space. The RG, in particular, made an impressive debut in the Congress stronghold of Salcete in the 2022 Assembly polls, making significant inroads in the minority heartland and leaving the national party stranded midway through a division of votes.
Sources indicate that the Congress faces another major obstacle - the selection of a candidate for the South Goa seat. Sitting four-time MP Francisco Sardinha has asserted his claim for the ticket, alongside strong contenders such as former GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar, bureaucrat-turned-politician Elvis Gomes, and ex-serviceman Capt Viriato Fernandes.
Sardinha, who has never lost a Lok Sabha poll, is a strong contender for the ticket for the fifth time in his career spanning over four decades. However, he faces stiff competition from Chodankar, who is expected to lobby extensively with the party leadership given his close ties to Rahul Gandhi and his status in the party as a permanent member of the Congress Working Committee. Hailing from the Bahujan Samaj, Girish is believed to be vying for the ticket due to the changing demographics, with South Goa no longer being a minority-dominated constituency.
On the other hand, a section of the party leadership supports Capt Viriato's candidacy, citing his background as an ex-serviceman and his role in recent agitations in the state to safeguard Goa from ill-conceived projects. While Capt Viriato has reiterated his support for Sardinha's candidacy if the party renominates the sitting MP, some party members advocate for Viriato's candidacy if the party leadership seeks a new face for the upcoming polls.
Bureaucrat-turned-politician Gomes, who contested the South Goa seat under the Aam Aadmi Party banner in 2019 and garnered around 20,000 votes, has also put forward a strong claim for the ticket.
