BJP deploys Digambar; Congress-GFP counters with Vijai
PWD Minister Digambar Kamat in a huddle with members of Muslim community in the Davorlim ZP constituency with Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuenkar, Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar, and Haj Committee Chairman Urfan Mulla.
MARGAO
Leaving nothing to chance in its bid to retain the Davorlim and Guirdolim seats, the BJP has roped in PWD Minister and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat to woo Muslim minority voters in support of the party’s candidates.
On the other hand, the Congress-Goa Forward Party alliance is banking on Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai to leverage his influence within the Muslim community in Davorlim in favour of Congress candidate Danny Floriano Fernandes.
The Muslim vote has emerged as a key factor in Davorlim, which has a sizeable Muslim population, particularly in the Rumdamol Housing Board area and parts of Davorlim village. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has also made efforts to reach out to minority voters, stressing that the BJP-led government does not discriminate against any community and that welfare schemes are implemented uniformly across caste and creed.
As part of the outreach, the Chief Minister has highlighted the Mhaje Ghar housing scheme, appealing to voters to support the BJP while promising to legalise their houses before the 2027 Assembly elections under the scheme.
The presence of PWD Minister Digambar Kamat in both Davorlim and Guirdolim constituencies is being closely watched by the Congress camp. Known for his strong support base among the Muslim community in his home constituency of Margao, Kamat has been quietly making his presence felt in Davorlim without much publicity. During his visits, he is believed to have held closed-door meetings with members of the Muslim community, suggesting that the party has assigned him a clear mandate to attempt to draw minority voters towards the BJP in these two constituencies.
Meanwhile, Congress Davorlim candidate Danny Floriano Fernandes has turned to alliance partner Vijai Sardesai, requesting him to mobilise support from the Muslim community in favour of the Congress. Sources said the Goa Forward chief has assured Fernandes that he would use his influence, particularly in the Rumdamol Housing Board area, to counter the BJP’s growing presence there.
Adding to the political heat, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao told the media that Digambar Kamat was seen in Chandor village, which falls under the Guirdolim Zilla Panchayat constituency, apparently in an attempt to make inroads into the Muslim vote in support of the BJP candidate.
Sources further pointed out that the Muslim vote is crucial in Davorlim, where the contest has narrowed into a straight fight between the BJP and the Congress, with the remaining two candidates in the fray being Independents.
In the 2020 Zilla Panchayat elections, the Muslim vote had split among multiple candidates, including a Muslim contestant who secured a sizeable share of votes. This time, however, there is no Muslim candidate in the fray, as the Davorlim seat has been reserved for the OBC category, prompting the BJP leadership to make a determined bid to consolidate Muslim support, with an avowed objective to ensure that the Muslim votes do not go en block to the Congress.
