Battleground Salcete: AAP-Cong split sets stage for fierce battle over non-BJP voters
File photo of Aam Admi Party Velim MLA Cruz Silva celebrating his victory in the 2022 Assembly election.
MARGAO
With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) virtually severing ties with the Congress, the fragile unity among Opposition parties has come under severe strain. As a result, Salcete is once again poised to become a key battleground for non-BJP forces in the upcoming polls.
The reason is clear: The Congress, AAP, besides other national and regional parties —which are expected to unveil their strategies in the run-up to the elections — will be all vying for the same non-BJP voter base, particularly among the minority communities that dominate the taluka.
Going by past electoral trends, the contest in several Zilla Panchayat and Assembly constituencies in Salcete is now expected to shape up not as a Congress vs BJP battle, but rather as a clash between the Congress and other non-BJP entities, especially AAP.
AAP has steadily built a strong presence in Salcete since establishing its base in Goa over a decade ago, culminating in its victory, first by opening its account in the 2020 Zilla Panchayat polls by winning the Benaulim Zilla Panchayat seat and later making it to the Goa Legislative Assembly in the 2022 election via Velim and Benaulim.
In the lead-up to the upcoming polls, AAP has also been making significant inroads into Curtorim and Nuvem – the two constituencies playing host to the Christian minorities.
With the exception of Curtorim — where the BJP has a modest presence — the ruling party has little to no presence in Velim, Benaulim, and Nuvem, as evident from recent electoral results. This dynamic places the Congress in a direct face-off with AAP in these constituencies, particularly in Velim and Benaulim, which are currently held by AAP.
Both AAP MLAs — Cruz Silva (Velim) and Venzy Viegas (Benaulim) — have been working diligently in their respective constituencies since their 2022 elections. Despite the limitations that come with being in the Opposition, they have managed to stay connected with voters through focused initiatives in health, education, and environmental issues, thereby maintaining a strong grassroots presence.
Against this backdrop, the Congress will have to brace up to face a formidable challenge in reclaiming ground from AAP in these key Salcete segments.
Apart from AAP, the Congress will have to grapple with other regional players such as the Revolutionary Goans Party, which made deep inroads into the party stronghold Salcete in the 2022 Assembly elections. In the 2022 Assembly elections, the Congress had to face big challenge from national parties such as the Trinamool Congress party and the Nationalist Congress Party in certain segments in the party’s stronghold Salcete, resulting in a split in the non-BJP vote.
BJP eyes Salcete advantage amid Cong-AAP split
MARGAO: The BJP may no longer need to revive “Mission Salcete”— an initiative first launched by former Chief Minister, late Manohar Parrikar, nearly two decades ago to woo the minority vote in this key taluka.
Parrikar’s successor and current Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had long shelved the initiative, asserting that his government treats all talukas and communities equally, rendering a targeted minority outreach unnecessary.
Now, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) formally severing ties with the Congress over accusations of “betrayal” and “backstabbing,” the ruling BJP finds itself in an advantageous position — particularly in Salcete, where it has traditionally found it difficult to make electoral inroads.
No one understands the benefits of a divided Opposition better than the BJP leadership. They are acutely aware that when non-BJP parties cross swords —especially in Salcete, a minority-dominated stronghold — the saffron party often gains by default. This becomes especially crucial in a region where the BJP has minimal to no presence in at least four or five of the eight Assembly constituencies.
The BJP’s strategists also know that when the Congress and other non-BJP parties unite, the electoral math shifts decisively against them. This was evident in the 2007 and 2017 Assembly elections, when a relatively united Opposition enabled the Congress to come within striking distance of forming the government.
By contrast, the fragmented Opposition in the 2022 Assembly elections handed the advantage back to the BJP. For, multiple non-BJP parties — including AAP, the Revolutionary Goans Party, TMC, NCP, and others — contested independently, slicing up the anti-BJP vote.
The outcome was telling. The Congress managed to win just three of Salcete’s eight seats. AAP captured two, while the BJP, Goa Forward Party, and an Independent candidate took one each. This splintering of the vote in Salcete mirrored the larger State-wide picture, where the Congress was ultimately left stranded at 11 seats —well short of a majority.
With the AAP and Congress now openly at odds, the BJP will be hoping for a repeat of 2022, banking on a divided Opposition to clear the path to electoral success once again.
