MARGAO
With four-months to go for the 2022 electoral battle, the picture reads like this in minority Salcete for the moment --- the Congress is getting battle ready to retain its stranglehold over its fiefdom. Its challengers, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Trinamool Congress, however too seem to be equally determined to make inroads in the minority stronghold in a bid to storm the Congress bastion.
The NCP and the Goa Forward Party, on the other hand, which had won a seat each from Salcete, are apparently waiting for the Congress to respond to offers of alliance. How these two parties will go about in the ensuing polls depends on how the Congress responds to the alliance offers made by the NCP and Goa Forward leadership.
The ruling BJP is expected to concentrate in Fatorda, Margao, Navelim and Cuncolim where the party enjoys sizeable presence.
With as many eight out of the 40 seats at stake, neither the Congress can afford to concede its space in its bastion to the opposition nor can the challengers ignore Salcete in their scheme of things.
CONGRESS
On its stronghold, the party treading
cautiously on selection of candidates
MARGAO: With around four months to go for the 2022 polls, the Congress is galvanizing its rank and file, making the workers battle ready in its fiefdom. The party had won six out of the eight seats at stake in 2017, with the remaining two seats going to the NCP and the Goa Forward.
The Congress leadership seems to be treading a cautious path on selection of candidates, lest any slip costs the party dearly in the polls. While re-nomination of Opposition leader Digambar Kamat in Margao and Reginaldo Lourenco in Curtorim may be a mere formality given their status as sitting MLAs, the Congress faces an arduous task of finalizing candidates in Velim, Nuvem, Cuncolim and Navelim. And, not to mention Benaulim and Fatorda if the alliance talks with the NCP and Goa Forward comes a cropper.
In Cuncolim, the battle for the Congress ticket has narrowed down to Yuri Alemao and his challenger, bureaucrat-turned-politician, Elvis Gomes.
In Velim, as many as four aspirants “ South Goa district president Joe Dias, Velim Sarpanch Savio D’Silva, former MLA Benjamin D’Silva and former Sarzora Sarpanch Sabita Mascarenhas are working overtime for the ticket.
In Nuvem, young Turks, including Everson Vales, Jose Raju Cabral and others are expected to stake claim for the ticket.
AAP
Except in Margao & Fatorda,
campaigning in full swing
MARGAO: The Aam Admi Party seems to be going about systematically in Salcete after the party put up a good show in the 2017 election. The party seems to have almost zeroed in on the probable candidates in most of the constituencies in Salcete.
The party’s game plan to rope in Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco to give the much-needed boost to the campaign, may have come a cropper. The party seems to have started its campaign in right earnest in constituencies such as Benaulim, Velim, Navelim and Cuncolim.
After Reginaldo decided to stay put with the Congress, AAP has roped in a strong ST leader Dominic Gaunkar in Curtorim, apparently to take on the three-time Congress MLA.
The party, however, seems to have not made any sizeable presence in the twin constituencies of Margao and Fatorda till date.
TRINAMOOL
In no haste to force its way
into minority stronghold
MARGAO: New-entrant TMC might have heralded its entry into Salcete only recently, but leaders exude confidence that it’s just a matter of time before the party makes its presence across the taluka in the coming days, post-Mamata Didi’s two-day visit to Goa beginning on Thursday.
The TMC must be certainly banking on Cong-turned-TMC leader Luizinho Faleiro to ensure that the Navelim seat comes in the party kitty without much of a problem. The party has roped in UGDP president Dr Jorson Fernandes to take the party forward in Cuncolim, while in neighbouring Velim, young city-based lawyer, Adv Antonio Clovis da Costa embraced the party a month ago.
In Benaulim, the TMC has roped in noted tiatr producer and director Tony D’Costa (Coke).
The TMC seems to be working on a game plan and is in no haste to force its way in minority stronghold, though it is being perceived as a minority-based party. In fact, leaders in private say the party will make its pan-Goa presence before making big in Salcete.
BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY
Damu & Clafacio are best
bets for the saffron party
MARGAO: The BJP may settle for two-time former MLA Damu Naik for Fatorda, while Cong-turned-BJP MLA Clafacio Dias may turn out the best bet for the ruling party in Cuncolim. The party is yet to zero in on a candidate for Margao and is yet to take a call on testing the electoral waters in in Navelim or Curtorim.
