MARGAO
February 24, 2005: The narrow lane leading to the Masjid at Malbhat was the centre of intense political activity.
Reason? Top BJP leaders led by then Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar, then RSS chief Subhash Velingkar and a host of party workers had descended on the road which plays host to party minister Digambar Kamat.
The mission was simple “ to convince Digambar not to quit the saffron party and stop him from joining the Congress. For, BJP leaders were wary that Kamat’s exit would pave the way for the collapse of the Parrikar-led government. Late evening, Kamat had left his residence to sever all ties with the saffron party to join the Congress, before the BJP government came down days later.
Around 17 years down the lane, the road leading to Malbhat Masjid came alive with supporters swarming around Digambar’s residence, blocking vehicular traffic, on Wednesday. This time around, however, supporters swarmed around with one mission -- to endorse and welcome Digambar back into the BJP fold.
In 2005, the seven-time Margao MLA had cited “suffocation” behind his decision to quit the BJP and embrace the Congress. After the 17-year journey in the Congress, wherein he rose to become the State’s chief minister in 2007, Kamat has now cited disrespect and humiliation meted out to him by the Congress leadership, which has prompted him to quit and return to the BJP fold.
Unlike 2005, where one could mostly find BJP leaders and workers at Kamat’s residence, hoping against hope that the Margao MLA would do a re-think on quitting the BJP, this time his supporters, right from councillors to his workers from Moti Dongor and Azad Nagar assembled in strength to express their solidarity with Kamat “ affectionately called as Baba by his ardent supporters.
As his workers thronged Malbhat at around 4.30 pm, after being told that Kamat would return home in the evening, the Margao MLA did not let them down. In a fiery speech, Kamat made a repeated mention that his real strength has been his workers, hailing from all sections of society. He bowed before his supporters, saying they have stood behind him like a rock in his political career.
“I was in the opposition for 10 years. The jobs for our people were not forthcoming, but not a single worker abandoned me during this period,” he said.
Apparently reaching out to all sections of society to endorse his decision, Kamat reminded that Madgavkars had voted for him in large numbers when he was earlier in the BJP. “This party is not new to me. I was part of the BJP when four party MLAs got elected in 1994. I even enjoyed the No two position in the BJP government. People of Margao had voted for me and my work when I was in the BJP,” he added.
Kamat, however, said Congress humiliated him by not making him the Opposition Leader when he had worked tirelessly for the party.
“When 17 MLAs had quit the Congress, I stood with the party. I had led from the front in the last elections. If not for my work, Congress would not have won 11 MLAs, but have been stranded with five MLAs,” he added.
Kamat also tried to reach out to the BJP workers as well. "Though I had quit the party, I did not sever my ties with the BJP. I did not harass the BJP leader. My relationship with party leaders and workers remained intact,” he said.
He, however, declined to go into the reasons behind his decision to quit the BJP 17 years ago, saying, “I don’t believe in the past and the future, but believe in the present.
Before heading to the Lord Dambab shrine at the Pimpalkatta to seek the blessing of the presiding deity, Kamat said: “It does not matter to me whether you call my return to the BJP as ghar wapsi since he enjoys the support of his workers and the blessings of Lord Dambab”.
