MARGAO
Its election season and a season for politicians to leave behind political differences and rally behind a “bigger cause” in support of their candidates contesting in Lok Sabha polls.
If the INDIA bloc meeting at Fatorda on Sunday saw the coming together of candidates who had crossed swords against each other in the 2022 Assembly election, Thursday saw a repeat in the Assembly segments of Velim and Curtorim in Salcete. A report.
INDIA bloc partners share dais in support of Capt Viriato at Velim
Candidates who had fought a bitter battle in the fertile political plains of minority dominated Velim came under the banner of INDIA bloc to support Congress South Goa candidate Capt Viriato Fernandes on Thursday.
While speakers of the INDIA bloc delivered speeches from the dais, the focus of public attention was on incumbent Velim Aam Aadmi Party MLA Cruz Silva, former MLA Benjamin D’Silva and Congress South Goa district chief Savio D’Silva as they shared the INDIA bloc dais to support Capt Viriato.
The trio had fought a bitter battle for Velim in the run up to the 2022 Assembly polls, with the AAP candidate Cruz Silva getting the better off Savio and Benjamin. Their political rivalry did not end post-Assembly election, but could be seen in the last two years, before they all came together on a common platform in order to support Capt Viriato.
Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai, who addressed the INDIA bloc meeting, showered praises on the political rivals from Velim, saying the gesture will strengthen the hands of the Congress candidate. In fact, Sardesai gave a call to the people of Velim not to wait for Cruz Silva, Savio D’Silva and Benjamin D’Silva, but come out of their houses on the polling day to cast their votes in favour of Capt Viriato.
In fact, while Cruz had started his campaign in support of Viriato given that AAP is a member of the INDIA bloc, Benjamin’s presence on the dais has sent a message loud and clear to the people to unite behind the Congress candidate in the May 7 polls.
Bitter foes Reginaldo, Barbosa stand by Pallavi in Curtorim
As BJP South Goa candidate Pallavi Dempo’s juggernaut entered the Housing Board area of Curtorim Assembly segment on Thursday for an interaction with the party rank and file, both Independent MLA Reginaldo Lourenco and bitter foe, BJP ST leader Anthony Barbosa, besides BJP mahila face Dr Sneha Bhagwat shared the dais as they made a plea for votes in support of the party candidate.
There’s been no love lost between Reginaldo Lourenco and Anthony Barbosa. In fact, their rivalry dates back two years ago when Barbosa crossed sword against the four-time Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco in the 2022 Assembly election.
In fact, despite Reginaldo extending support to the BJP-led government headed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the BJP team from Curtorim was literally on a war path with the Independent MLA over the issue of developmental works in the constituency.
With the BJP fielding Pallavi Dempo for the South Goa seat, both the Curtorim BJP, which has been leaving no stone unturned to mobilise voters and the Independent MLA, seemed to have come together to ensure that the party candidate poll maximum votes from Curtorim, which had in the recent past given sizeable lead to the Congress party in Lok Sabha polls.
GF, TMC, AAP show unity at Fatorda, back Cong candidate
The Fatorda Assembly segment showed the way for opposition unity when Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai shared the INDIA bloc meeting dais with his opponents in the 2022 Assembly election, Adv Seoula Vaz (TMC) and Sandesh Talekar (AAP).
In fact, Sardesai made no bones of the fact at the meeting that he had invited both Adv Seoula and Sandesh for the Sunday meeting in support of Capt Viriato Fernandes. The reason is not far to seek. With votes getting consolidated on the ruling and opposition side, Sardesai’s game plan was simple – to consolidate the votes polled by him, Adv Seoula and Sandesh and aim at giving a comfortable lead for the Captain in Fatorda.
The INDIA bloc meeting also saw leaders of the Congress and AAP sharing the dais with the Goa Forward chief, as they all put up a unity façade before the public in a bid to mobilise the anti-BJP vote in favour of Viriato.
