MARGAO
The BJP and the INDIA bloc jostled for a share of the migrant vote in Margao, with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant descending atop migrant inhabited Moti Dongor with Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, affectionately called “Baba’ in the basty.
To make the INDIA bloc presence at the migrant inhabited colony, Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai also rushed to the area around noon with his supporters after the Sawant-Kamat duo left Moti Dongor.
What prompted the Chief Minister-Margao MLA duo to visit Moti Dongor remained unknown, more so when the migrant basty has been considered Kamat’s stronghold over the years.
The Chief Minister, however, said that BJP’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ will fetch votes for the party candidate from the Muslim community inhabiting Moti Dongor. While saying Moti Dongor has been a stronghold of Digambar Kamat, the Chief Minister said Moti Dongor and Margao will give a huge lead for the party.
The Goa Forward chief, who made his presence at Moti Dongor, just before electioneering ended on Sunday evening, and had come in face to face with Kamat’s supporters, however, begged to differ. He said the Margao MLA has got a wind of the storm that is likely to hit Moti Dongor and other migrant inhabited areas of the commercial capital.
“Digambar Kamat would come to know when the EVMs are opened on June 4 the voting pattern at Moti Dongor. I do not say that Moti Dongor had voted for the Congress candidate, but the Margao BJP MLA should be ready to accept the surprise at the migrant inhabited area,” Sardesai said.
He added: “The very fact that a seasoned Kamat has brought the Chief Minister to visit his stronghold Moti Dongor when polling was in progress shows that something must have gone wrong for the BJP. But, Kamat and the Chief Minister do not know that their presence at Moti Dongor was to intimidate the voters, they will be terribly mistaken since the voters, who were supposed to vote for us had already cast their votes,” he said.
Interestingly, the Goa Forward chief along with his supporters later rushed to the South of the commercial capital following reports that the Chief Minister may visit the migrant inhabited areas. “Neither people of Fatorda nor Margao have approved of Kamat’s supporters blocking our campaign at Moti Dongor. Kamat must have visited Fatorda so many times during the fortnight-long campaign, but our supporters had never stopped the Margao MLA from campaigning in Fatorda,” he said.
