MARGAO
Can the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party stop two-time Congress sitting MLA Reginaldo Lourenco from scoring a hattrick in Curtorim constituency? Or, will the Lotus bloom in minority-dominated Curtorim constituency a la Cuncolim in 2012 post-delimitation?
These and other questions are doing the rounds in Curtorim countryside as two-time MLA Reginaldo Lourenco is seeking to play his third successive innings from the constituency since he made his electoral debut in the Legislative Assembly in the 2007 election on the Save Goa Front banner.
Curtorim has been the Congress stronghold over the years, barring 1994 and 2007 when Congress heavyweight Francisco Sardinha lost on both occasions. That Reginaldo managed to hold on to his support base in 2012 is evident from the fact that he won the seat with a comfortable 4000-plus vote margin against ST leader and ZP member Domnick Gaonkar, who contested the election as an Independent with BJP backing. That’s not all. Reginaldo managed to win the seat despite the fact that an anti-Congress wave swept Salcete in the last election, decimating many a political heavyweights in the taluka.
His opponents, however, are not willing to leave Reginaldo scot-free this time. Development has suddenly taken the center stage, with the opponents crying foul over MLA’s non-performance. The two-time MLA, however, remains unfazed. Reginaldo is apparently banking on accessibility, his strong forte, as well as his contribution to agriculture and farming, to keep him in good stead and withstand the opposition onslaught.
The BJP, in particular, is making a determined bid to storm the Congress fort as evident by the fact that the party has roped in former Margao Municipal Council chairperson Arthur D’Silva to take on the two-time MLA. This isn’t the first time the BJP is contesting the election from Curtorim. In 1999 and 2007 elections, the BJP had fielded candidates on the party banner, but they all came a cropper as they could not even cross the four digit figure. Post-delimitation, however, the BJP leaders see a ray of hope for the party in Curtorim. The Gogol Housing Board, considered a BJP-stronghold, is now a part of Curtorim constituency. Party candidate Arthur D’Silva is not new to electoral politics. Though hailing from neighbouring Fatorda constituency, Arthur started his work in Curtorim in right earnest months before the Congress settled for Reginaldo. He, however, has a task cut out for him “ to ensure that BJP retains its vote bank and at the same time make inroads into the non-BJP vote pockets and anticipate a split in the traditional Congress vote.
Reginaldo’s traditional rivals, the Sardinhas are not in the fray. It was widely expected that Francisco Sardinha’s son, Shallom, would take on the two-time MLA head on after he embraced the debutant Aam Aadmi Party. The new party, which is testing the political waters in Curtorim for the first time, has opted for a young IT engineer, Edwin Vaz to take on his high profile opponents. AAP, which has established its base around Curtorim over the last few months, must be certainly banking on the majority silent votes to turn the tide in its favour.
While the Reginaldo camp is bubbling with confidence that the caste and religious factors may also go in favour of the sitting MLA, his opponents in the fray, especially the never say die Arthur, says the game isn’t over yet. The remaining candidates in the fray include MGP’s Conceicao Dias and Jose Paulo Fernandes (Ind).
Reginaldo Lourenco (Cong), Arthur D’Silva (BJP), Conceicao Dias (MGP), Edwin Vaz (AAP) and Jose Paulo Fernandes (Ind)
