By dropping Aleixo Sequeira and inducting Digambar Kamat, BJP bets on experience and electoral arithmetic ahead of 2027.
MARGAO
Minority-dominated Salcete taluka has retained its representation in the Pramod Sawant-led Cabinet following the recent reshuffle earlier this week.
However, there’s a significant shift — a minority representative from within the minority community in Salcete is no longer part of the BJP-led government, with the BJP replacing Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira with veteran politician Digambar Kamat.
Reasons behind the political development could be varied, but the change is seen as a calculated and strategic move, with many saying the BJP’s decision appears aimed at rebuilding and consolidating the party’s core voter base in this traditionally Congress-leaning taluka ahead of the upcoming elections.
Kamat’s induction signals the party’s intent to consolidate and retain its hold over Margao and Navelim, and the crucial Margao Municipal Council, while attempting to regain lost ground in areas like Fatorda and Cuncolim.
The move, observers say, aligns with the party’s broader strategy for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat due later this year, the March 2026 Municipal elections, and the Assembly elections in 2027.
Sequeira’s exit — no fault in governance
Interestingly, there is little to suggest that the BJP leadership — including Chief Minister Pramod Sawant — found fault with Sequeira’s tenure. On the contrary, the Chief Minister had on several occasions entrusted Sequeira with key responsibilities, including coordinating the exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier and addressing sanitation concerns at the cholera-affected Cutbona fishing jetty.
Sources, however, indicate that Sequeira’s political performance painted a different picture. Representing the Nuvem Assembly constituency — a Catholic minority stronghold and traditional Congress bastion — Sequeira was reportedly unable to broaden the BJP’s appeal in his constituency. He struggled not only to strengthen the party’s base in Nuvem but also to make inroads among minority voters across Salcete.
Against this backdrop, it seems the BJP has chosen political pragmatism, prioritising electoral calculations as it gears up for a crucial election season.
This brings to the fore a pertinent question: will Kamat’s induction help the BJP make real inroads in the minority-dominated taluka, apart from retaining his hold over Margao and the Margao Municipal Council?
Political observers argue that Kamat’s Cabinet berth is unlikely to significantly alter the BJP’s fortunes in Salcete. However, sources say the party leadership is certainly banking on Kamat to help retain the Margao constituency and use his influence to keep the party in good stead in Navelim and Cuncolim as well in the 2027 elections.
That’s not all — the party is also pinning its hopes on Kamat to mobilise the cadre and regain a foothold in Fatorda, the home constituency of BJP State President Damu Naik. Sources say the party may draft Kamat with the plan to revive the party’s prospects in Cuncolim, where the lotus had bloomed for the first time in 2012. In fact, soon after his induction, Kamat made no bones about the fact that the party may depute him to strengthen the party base in Salcete and down South.
Can Kamat deliver in Salcete?
Whether Digambar Kamat can sway Salcete votes in favour of the BJP remains a contentious issue in political circles. Following his defection from the Congress to the BJP on September 14, 2022 — alongside seven other MLAs — sources suggest that Kamat's move was not well-received by the minority community. This sentiment was clearly reflected in the 2024 Lok Sabha election results in Margao, where a resurgent Congress nearly dealt a blow to Kamat's political stronghold.
This raises a key question: Can Kamat regain the trust of the minorities now that he holds a Cabinet position? Or has the BJP inducted him primarily to consolidate and bolster its core voter base — particularly in the constituencies of Margao, Fatorda, Navelim, Cuncolim, and Curtorim?
“It is evident that the BJP leadership is eager to make tangible gains in Salcete, particularly in areas where the party already has a foothold,” said an observer. “Rather than spreading itself across the taluka, the party may task Kamat with consolidating support in Margao and Navelim, energising the cadre in Fatorda, and reclaiming Cuncolim — four constituencies where the lotus has bloomed at one point or another.”
