When Aam Aadmi leaders and volunteers had descended on the coastal constituency of Benaulim a couple of months ago, questions were raised in political circles why the Delhi-based party had chosen Benaulim to kick off its campaign in Salcete, which has a total of eight seats at stake. AAP leaders were quick to attribute its decision to the fact that AAP had polled sizeable votes in Benaulim in the 2014 Lok Sabha poll. Much water has flown down the river Sal since then and AAP workers and volunteers have now made slow and steady presence in most of the constituencies across the taluka.
Ahead of Arvind Kejriwal’s visit to the state on Sunday, even senior politicians admit in private that AAP may end up polling sizeable votes in each of the constituencies, which can dent the prospects of established players. While the regional players may dismiss AAP’s presence in the taluka, politicos across the board are indeed keeping their fingers crossed over the AAP effect on Salcete’s politics post Kejriwal’s visit in the run up to the Assembly elections.
Take the case of Benaulim. From December till date, the party has almost put the organization in place with the appointment of workers at the booth level. The party has received a big boost a month ago after most of the social activists working across Benaulim embraced the outfit, promising to bring a change in the constituency.
Though AAP has drawn up plans to contest in all the eight Assembly constituencies, APP has made its presence felt in a big way in Velim, Curtorim and Nuvem, wherein the party has almost completed 60 per cent work on putting the organization in place. Party leaders in private admit that it’s only in the constituencies of Cuncolim and Navelim and the twin constituencies of Margao and Fatorda that the party is slightly behind on the organizational front. Says AAP state convenor, Rajshree Nagarsekar: “After the Benaulim meeting, AAP today has grown in Salcete, be it in Velim, Curtorim and Nuvem. The response in these constituencies is good. In fact, we have been able to put the organization in place.”
She added: “We are set to improve our presence in Salcete after Kejriwal’s visit to the state on May 22. As of now, our plans are to contest in all the eight Assembly seats. In fact, we have very good candidates in Salcete which will keep the party in good stead.
Goans are not fools to fall for
topi walas: regional players
Regional players see red as the Aam Aadmi Party has made its presence felt in the nook and corners of Salcete’s countryside over the last few months. None of the three regional players “ Goa Vikas Party, United Goans Democratic Party and the nascent Goa Forward Party “ are willing to concede any space for the new political entrant in the political scheme of things.
If GPV supremo Mickky Pacheco had questioned the presence of white caps wearing AAP members at the power-point presentation on the Western bypass in the presence of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, PWD Minister, Sudin Dhavalikar, Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado and MLAs Vijai Sardesai and Caitu Silva, UGDP ideologue took Churchill Alemao’s birthday platform to launch a scathing attack on the AAP, cautioning Goans to be beware of the “topiwallas” on the prowl in their villages.
“Soon after Liberation, Goans welcomed Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962, who returned to Delhi by putting “topis” for everyone. There’s a new breed of topi walas from Delhi who have now come to Goa. And these topiwallas are being welcomed by people with Valmiki Naik and Dr Dattaram Desai, who are known for their association with the RSS,” Radharao said at Churchill’s 67th birthday function. He added: “We should not waste our vote. AAP magic may have worked in Delhi, but we Goans are different type of people.”
At the power-point presentation on Western bypass, Mickky had publicly taken on AAP members, questioning them for attending the presentation with white caps. He took a dig at them saying they were wearing caps for publicity. “Where’s the question of AAP posing a threat to regional parties such as the GVP. You think they will win even a single seat in the coming election. I do not see AAP make inroads in Nuvem or other constituencies in Salcete,” Mickky said, when asked whether he foresees any threat to the regional players from the Delhi-based party.
Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai echoed similar sentiments. “I do not see a Delhi-based party posing any threat to the local players, including the Goa Forward Party in the coming polls. Goa Forward is a regional party formed to meet the aspirations of Goans. We believe that the party’s high command ought to be in Goa and not in Delhi. Even Arvind Kejriwal in his book speaks about the high-handedness of the high commands. With AAP core based in Delhi, should Goans look at the party high command in Delhi to resolve Goa’s problems,” Vijai asked.
