the goan I network
MARGAO
Can the Congress put an end to the free run enjoyed by Independent candidate Anthony aka Babush Rodrigues, the proprietor of Jolly Travels, in Velim constituency in the March 22 Zilla Panchayat polls?
Anthony is seeking a second term from Velim, after he and his family has maintained stranglehold over the seat for the last 10 years, with Anthony winning the seat for the first time in 2010, sister-in-law Mancy retaining the seat in 2015.
After initial hesitation and confusion over the fielding a candidate on the party banner, the Congress leadership has finally zeroed in on a political novice Julio Fernandes after Velim Sarpanch Savio D’Silva and his supporters all joined the party in support of his candidature.
While Velim is witnessing a six-cornered contest, the ensuring electoral battle has narrowed down between the Independent candidate Anthony and his Congress challenger, Julio. Velim is the home ground of Cong-turned-BJP MLA and Fisheries Minister, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, but the BJP is not in the fray in the constituency.
As things stand today, the Congress has a big task at hand, to reach out to the voters in the four villages of Velim, Chinchinim, Ambelim and Assolna and earnestly hope the party Hand symbol comes to the rescue of the candidate.
Local observers say that the powers that be, including present and former political players, have reportedly thrown their lot behind the Independent candidate. Besides, the Congress camp is hit by dissensions, with many questioning the choice of the candidate.
Candidate Julio and the Velim Sarpanch remain unfazed, saying the people of Velim will vote for the Congress this time round. The party has roped in Mahila Congress Chief Pratima Coutinho to give a boost for the party campaign, and is banking on contentious issues such as the CAA and Filipe Neri’s decision to embrace the BJP. The party has not stopped labelling Independent candidate Anthony Babush as the BJP-backed candidate in a bid to consolidate the minority vote towards party nominee.
Says Congress candidate Julio: “I and my congress supporters have covered lot of ground in the constituency in the last few days. People have promised their full support to my candidature. I am confident of winning the seat”.
Velim Sarpanch Savio D’Silva exuded confidence that the people of Velim will see through the BJP’s game plan of not fielding a candidate on the Lotus symbol. “People of Velim by now know the candidate who is backed by the BJP. Velim will vote for the Congress this time round,” he asserted.
Independent Anthony Babush, however, said the Congress campaign aimed at painting him as a BJP-backed candidate will not succeed. “My candidature has the backing of supporters of the Congress as well as the followers of Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues and former MLAs. This only goes to show that my candidature enjoys the support of a cross-section of society”, he said. Outlining his reasons for contesting as an Independent, Babush said “I had won the 2010 election as an independent. My sister-in-law had retained the seat also as an independent. Since I enjoy the support of the people, I thought of seeking re-election again as an independent’.
With a week to go for the election, the Congress has come under sharp focus, whether the party would manage to checkmate the free run of the Independent candidate and prove a point or two that the Congress is still alive in Velim even after Filipe Neri’s exit from the party to embrace the BJP.
