the goan I network
MARGAO
Will the Congress regain the South Goa seat which the party lost to sitting BJP MP Narendra Sawaikar in the 2014 Lok Sabha poll?
A confident-looking Congress appeared going to tomorrow’s election with a strong sense of determination to wrest the South Goa seat from the BJP, with senior party leaders from down South sounding upbeat, saying the only question that remains to be answered in tomorrow’s polling is the margin of victory.
Right from Congress chief campaign manager Digambar Kamat to Leader of the Opposition to the candidate Francisco Sardinha, all appeared confidence personified as they predicted that minority Salcete will rally behind the party and the BJP will have to slog in the hinterland Assembly segments this time.
Says Digambar: “As the party chief campaign manager, I have toured the entire constituency, right from Sanguem to Salcete and Canacona and I can say with confidence that the Congress will regain the South Goa seat. The only question that leaves to be answered is the margin of Sardinha’s victory.”
The chief campaign manager said the party has fixed a target of 50,000 vote lead in the eight assembly segments of Salcete, adding “even if the Congress garner a lead of 40,000 in Salcete, the game will be over for the BJP.”
Leader of the Opposition Babu Kavlekar is optimistic that the Congress will stop BJP’s free run in South Goa’s hinterlands. “If the BJP had a free run in the 2014 election in Sanvordem,
Sanguem, Curchorem and Canacona, it will be a different ball game this time. I don’t say that the Congress will take a lead in these segments, but the Congress will closely follow the BJP in these areas,” Babu said.
In 2014, the Congress had trailed in both Margao and Quepem segments, represented by Digambar and Kavlekar, but sources said the two leaders have left nothing to chance, having worked overtime this time to keep the party flag flying high.
Unlike 2014, when the BJP had swept the Madkai segment by taking an unassailable lead of 11,000-odd votes, Congress leaders are banking on MGP supremo Sudin Dhavalikar to stop Sawaikar’s free run.
“Sudin Dhavalikar has promised the Congress a lead in Madkai. We have no doubt that MGP’s decision to extend support to the Congress for the Lok Sabha Poll will help Sardinha make inroads in the hinterland,” remarked a Congress leader.
The BJP, however, is facing a serious challenge to retain the 50,000 votes polled in Salcete in 2014 with the help of its cadre and assistance of then MLAs Avertano Furtado, Mickky Pacheco and Caitu Silva.
That’s not all. The party is also facing an uphill task of repeating the 2014 feat in the hinterland areas this time round, as a determined Congress with the help of the MGP has gone all out to checkmate the ruling party in their bastion.
Even though political observers say the BJP is on a strong footing in the four Assembly seats of Mormugao taluka, with all the four seats represented by the BJP, including two ministers, Mauvin Godinho and Milind Naik, the Congress camp exuded confidence of not allowing the ruling party a free run in the taluka, especially in Cortalim, Mormugao and Vasco.
Kavlekar says people of Panaji will
not vote for BJP in May 19 bypoll
MARGAO: On the eve of polling for the two Lok Sabha seats and the bypolls for the three Assembly seats, Leader of the Opposition Babu Kavlekar on Monday said the BJP will not win a single seat, saying the opposition will sweep the election with a 5-0 strike rate.
“Going by the mood and anger of the people of Goa, I want to say that the BJP will neither retain the two Lok Sabha seats, nor the four by-elections, including Panaji on May 19,” Kavlekar told The Goan on Monday.
He pointed out that the people of Goa, who were fed up with the ruling party and their level of politics in the last two years, will come out in large numbers to teach the BJP a lesson. “Though the Panaji bypoll will be held on May 19, I can tell you that the people of the capital city will not vote for the BJP this time, but will give the Congress candidate a resounding victory,” Kavlekar said.
