The three Cong-turned-BJP MLAs at the BJP meeting at the South Goa office on Wednesday to chalk out strategy for the coming polls. Captured by : Santosh Mirajkar.
MARGAO
As the ruling BJP virtually kick-started its preparedness for the 2022 Assembly election on Wednesday from South Goa, the three Saxtti-based Congress-turned-BJP MLAs “ Fisheries Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa and Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias were the cynosure of all eyes at the meeting of the saffron party.
Reason: While the trio are part and parcel of the saffron party, the one question that is asked in BJP circles and outside is -- will the trio dare contest the coming Assembly election on the Lotus symbol in their minority-dominated constituencies.
Reports have been doing the rounds that both Filipe and Wilfred may quit the BJP on the eve of the 2022 electoral battle to throw their hat in the electoral ring as Independents. In fact, sources say even the BJP leadership is well aware of the party’s strength and position, especially in Velim and Nuvem and may not be averse if both Filipe and Wilfred contest the polls as Independents instead of joining other parties.
When The Goan contacted the Fisheries Minister to shed light on the oft-repeated question whether he will contest the 2022 polls on the BJP ticket, a defensive Filipe Neri parried the question by reminding that he is a member of the BJP. “There’s still six month left for the elections. I am a member of the BJP and I will wait for the party to work out a strategy in respect of the coming polls”, he said.
Filipe Neri added: “Right now, I am focused on the developmental work in my Velim constituency. We are in a COVID-19 pandemic situation and we have to take care of our people as well. There’s still time for the election to take place. Right now, we are focused on the developmental work”.
His Nuvem counterpart, Wilfred D’Sa echoed similar sentiments. ‘Right now, we are focused on the development of my constituency. We had made certain promises to the people and we are working towards achieving them. Elections are still far away”, he said.
Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias was fortright in saying that he will not hesitate to contest the coming election on the Lotus symbol in the event the party fulfills his promise to usher development and provide jobs to the unemployed. “People of Cuncolim know what had prompted me to quit the Congress and join the BJP. My political rivals had stopped my development work that time, which had forced me to join the BJP”, he said.
Clafacio added: “I will take a decision whether to contest the 2022 polls on the BJP or not only in the event I manage to provide jobs to our unemployed youth and usher development in the constituency”.
Unlike Filipe Neri and Wilfred D’Sa, who have not tested the electoral waters on the BJP symbol in their constituencies in the recently-held election for the local bodies, Clafacio had been closely associated with the BJP campaign in the Zilla Panchayat election for the Guirdolim seat.
While the BJP had won the Guirdolim ZP seat, the Lotus could not bloom in Cuncolim in the recently-held civic polls.
