2019: Lot at stake for GFP
Will the Goa Forward Party back BJP candidates to retain the North and South Goa Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 election? TCP Minister Vijaibab Sardesai has been on record to assert that Goa Forward will support the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls given that the regional party is part of the BJP-led NDA alliance at the Centre. The moot question, however, remains unanswered: How will the regional party strike a balance between it’s commitment to its key political ally and the party’s expansion program across the State, including BJP strongholds in the North and the mining areas. Or, is Vijaibab’s stand that the Goa Forward will support the NDA an exercise aimed at keeping certain leaders within the alliance partner in good humour. Wait and watch!
The man chosen for a special Goa mission
Who is this Sachin Rao, the Delhi-based Congress functionary, making repeated presence in Goa to strengthen the party organization in the State? Well, Sachin is one of Rahul Gandhi’s backroom boys, who has been helping the Congress president to run the show. An MBA in corporate strategy and international business from Michigan Business School, Rao reportedly manages the party’s frontal organizational set-ups and has been apparently drafted by the high command to expand the party base in Goa. Among the many objectives, one is to add 100 voters in every booth. He was in Saxttidom during the weekend to conduct training for district party members as well as for the PCC members who intend to become office bearers of the panels. GPCC Chief Girishbab Chodankar appears pleased with the training programme.
Courting controversies with every visit
Hospicio staff and employees seem to be figuring out how Health Minister Vishwajitbab Rane’s visit to the hospital ends up in a row. The Health Minister’s face-off with the two women patients a couple of months ago is still a talking point amongst Hospicio employees and Saxttikars in general. And, his visit to the hospital last week post-fire incident has left Hospicio in the eye of a storm on the dialysis unit imbroglio. The dialysis unit issue has snowballed into a major controversy, not only leaving the hospital officials embarrassed, but bringing the Goa police under the scanner. In fact, the men-in-khakhi in private question the rationale on part of the powers that be to use them to stop the dialysis unit. Wait and watch as the scene will shift to the High Court on Monday.
Is Churchill playing neutral card?
Is Varca strongman Churchillbab part of the ruling coalition or is he maintaining equal distance from both the ruling coalition and opposition Congress? These questions again did the rounds in Saxttidom this week when the taluka’s opposition Congress MLAs stayed away from government programmes. As it turned out, Churchillbab was the lone Saxtti MLA to attend the PDA fish market inauguration presided by TCP Minister Vijaibab Sardesai. In fact, the Benaulim MLA’s presence literally saved the day for Vijaibab since not a single Congress MLA turned up for the inaugural function. An upset Vijaibab showered praises on Churchillbab saying the Benaulim MLA made it for the programme despite the fact that he is close to both the Congress as well as Manoharbhai Parrikar. What’s your take Churchillbab?
Old friends find new ‘political’ bonding
A friend in need is a friend indeed, so goes the good old adage. Though Joaquimbab Alemao has been down and out after his second successive defeat in Cuncolim, he has still not given up hopes of making a comeback in Cuncolim with the help of his close friend TCP Minister Vijaibab Sardesai. It is not out of place to mention here that Vijaibab has gone out of his way to back the Joaquim-Yuri duo in Cuncolim constituency, first by involving them in taking up the Cuncolim bypass issue with Manoharbhai and now promising to de-notify the Chandor state highway. Yuribab’s announcement that he would soon embrace GFP has already rattled the Congress camp, but Vijaibab is all set to welcome the Alemaos with open arms. Wait and watch!
