Over 70,000 votes from the community likely to prove decisive in hotly contested electoral race
While wooing the ST voters, the BJP leadership is drumming up the Union Cabinet’s decision on ST reservation in the Goa Assembly as a major breakthrough.
Photo Credits: The Goan/File photo
MARGAO
As the Congress and the BJP brace up for the upcoming battle of the ballot for the South Goa Lok Sabha seat, both political parties face a crucial question – how to go about wooing the ST (Scheduled Tribe) voters, estimated to be over 70,000 in South Goa.
Leaders of these parties understand the pivotal role the ST community vote plays in shaping electoral outcomes. The 2024 Lok Sabha polls have brought this into sharp focus amidst ongoing discussions about the long-standing demand of Scheduled Tribes for political reservations. The recent approval by the Union Cabinet to introduce a Bill in Parliament providing reservations in the Goa Legislative Assembly after the polls has intensified this focus. ST groups, predominantly comprising young activists, however, have criticised the BJP, accusing it of trying to deceive the community.
As expected, the BJP is going gaga over the Union Cabinet’s decision and has left no stone unturned since then to woo the ST voters. Meanwhile, tribal leaders opposed to the ruling party have threatened to spoil its party, a situation the Congress hopes to capitalise on.
Unlike the BJP, which has in its ranks ST leaders in Minister Govind Gawde, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, UTAA Chief Prakash Velip, former MLA Vasudev Meng Gaonkar, the Congress has no leader worth their name from the ST community, specially hailing from the hinterland, capable of holding the fort for the party, having failed to groom leaders from the community. Congress leaders in private say the party will be anxiously looking for the tribal leaders, opposed to the BJP and the Union Cabinet’s Bill on political reservations, with the hope of making a dent in the crucial vote.
There’s no clear statistics over the percentage of ST voters from the total 5,95,070 voters in the South Goa Lok Sabha constituency. Says United Tribal Associations Alliance Chief, Prakash Velip: “As per the census, the total ST population in Goa is pegged at around 1.45 lakh, predominately located in South Goa. Of this, I feel that the ST voters may be in the range of 70,000 in South Goa,” Velip said.
However, tribal leaders Rupesh Velip and Adv John Fernandes disagree, suggesting that the number of ST voters in the South Goa LS constituency may be closer to one lakh – a significant vote bank when considering the total electorate.
The UTAA Chief pointed out that the ST community, predominantly Hindu, has historically leaned towards the BJP. However, he acknowledges that political dynamics are evolving, particularly among younger voters within the community, both Hindus and Catholics, as evidenced by recent Assembly election results.
Tribal associations refrain from endorsing parties
The United Tribal Associations Alliance (UTAA) and the Mission Political Reservation for the ST Community will not use their respective platforms to drum up support for any political party for the May 7 Lok Sabha poll for South Goa.
Leaders of UTAA, however, are expected to work for the BJP in their individual capacity, with many leaders aligned closely with the saffron party over the years.
UTAA Chief Prakash Velip said any individual member of the organisation is free to work for the political party of their choice. 'However, as an organisation, we will not support any party,” Velip said.
President of the Mission for Political Reservation, Adv Joao Fernandes also expressed a similar stance. “The Mission will not support any political party, but the members of the forum are free to support the party and candidate of their choice,” he said.
While Prakash Velip said he and other leaders of UTAA, who are members of the BJP, will support the ruling party, Joao, on the other hand, said it is obvious which party the Mission members will support given that the ruling party has failed to notify political reservation for the scheduled tribes before the Lok Sabha polls.
Tribal leader Rupesh Velip, who along with ST leader Rama Kankonkar, have kick-started awareness programmes in the ST-dominated villages, said they are going around these villages to inform the residents about the BJP's alleged deception regarding political reservations. This group of tribal leaders openly opposes the BJP and is actively working against the party's interests in the region.
