MARGAO
Will power return back to down South after a decade, or will the North of Zuari hold the reigns of government once again as the stage is set for the counting of votes on Thursday?
These and other questions have come to the fore in political circles on the eve of counting of votes as a host of players from down South, including former chief minister Digambar Kamat, seemed to have emerged as a strong contender for the post of Chief Minister in the Congress camp.
Another key player from down South, who is the cynosure of all eyes, is MGP supremo Sudin Dhavalikar, who is expected to wait for the election results to make his move depending on the number of seats the MGP-TMC alliance wins in the polls.
Sources in the Congress camp say that Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat is making his right moves ahead of the counting of votes. Observers, however, say he may face a challenge of sorts from BJP-turned-Congress leader Michael Lobo for the hot seat, but it all depends again on how many seats the former Ports Minister and his team of candidates wins from North Goa.
The Congress has been treading a cautious path on the question of zeroing in on the choice of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader post-election. Though Kamat is the senior-most amongst the lot, who is expected to stake a claim for the CLP position, the Congress leadership has been cautious not to project him as the Chief Ministerial candidate.
Observers say the reasons behind the party’s decision in not projecting Kamat as the Chief Minister’s face could be varied and many, including the reason that smaller like-minded parties and Independents, whose support will be vital in government formation in the event of a hung Assembly, insist on a new face for the position other than the former chief minister.
“It is evident that Kamat has emerged as a strong contender for the Chief Minister’s post. In the event Congress gets the magic figure, there should not be any problem for him to be elected the CLP leader. The problem may arise only if the Congress fails to get the simple majority and the partners insist on a new face”, the source said.
As far as the MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar is concerned, whose Marcaim constituency falls in South Goa, sources said whether he would lobby for the Chief Minister’s post or not will depend on the number of seats the MGP-TMC alliance wins in the election. Sudin has gone on record saying that the MGP alone may win around 6-9 seats and the TMC another 3-5 constituencies in the election.
FLASHBACK
The last time power shifted to down South was exactly a decade and a half ago when the Congress had returned to the helm under the leadership of Digambar Kamat. Prior to that, Salcete and South Goa, in general, had enjoyed power when Luizinho Faleiro had returned to the hot seat in the 1999 polls. Later, Francisco Sardinha had ruled the State for a brief period after he took over the reigns of office by dislodging the Luizinho Faleiro government.
