MARGAO
As curtains over the no-holds -barred campaign draws to a close on Wednesday, one question that is uppermost in the minds of Madgavkars and Fatordekars is clear “ can the saffron flag fly atop the Margao Municipal Council building after the April 23 election?
Or, will the Vijai Sardesai-Digambar Kamat juggernaut manage to keep the BJP at bay and retain power to rule the civic body for the next five years.
Take note, it’s now a decade and half since the BJP has been out of power in the Margao Municipal Council. The last time the BJP enjoyed power in the MMC was around a decade and half ago in 2000 when Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat was part of the ruling party. Since then, victory has eluded the BJP in the Margao Municipal Council.
MARGAO: As anticipated, the 11 wards coming under the Margao Assembly constituency has witnessed a fierce battle between Margao MLA Digambar Kamat’s Model Margao panel and his challengers under the banner of BJP-backed Vibrant Margao. In the 2015 polls, Kamat had asserted his supremacy by winning around 5-6 seats, leaving the BJP way behind with only two seats.
This time round, the ruling party, seemed to have left no stone unturned to checkmate the Margao MLA with a two-fold plan “ one to storm the Margao Municipal Council with as many seats as possible and lay the road map for the 2022 Assembly election to end Kamat’s 27-year reign over the city since 1994.
As expected, the BJP is banking heavily on their strongholds to keep them in good stead against Model Margao. The ruling party seemed to have left nothing to chance to retain its hold and win in these four wards -- the two wards in Comba, Ward No. 12 & 13, besides Ward No. 14 (market ward) and Ward 17 (Malbhat). The ruling party’s game-plan appeared clear “ somehow win in these four wards and then make forays in another three wards, Ward No. 15, 19 and 22, where Kamat enjoys considerable influence.
That explains why the BJP is exuding confidence of doing well in wards, including Ward No. 15 & 19, which had in the past rallied behind the Margao MLA, both in the Municipal and Assembly elections.
The Opposition leader, on the other hand, appears equally determined to protect his fort from crumbling. Apparently aware that any change in the ground situation in the civic polls may have a bearing on the 2022 election, Kamat has been trying to match BJP’s organisational strength with his personal charisma and appeal. A couple of his candidates may be novices, but the Margao MLA goes about his campaign with an appeal to vote for him.
He knows for sure BJP’s strong presence in Ward No. 12, 13, 14 and 17, but that has not stopped him making a determined bid to get two wards in his kitty, including Ward No. 13.
FATORDA: In the 2015 civic polls, Goa Forward MLA Vijai Sardesai-backed Fatorda Forward had made a clean sweep by winning in all the 11 Municipal wards. Much water, however, has flown down the river Sal in the last five years, and the ruling BJP, including its leader Damu Naik seemed to have put its act together to checkmate arch political rival in the ensuing polls.
The Fatorda Forward and the BJP-backed Vibrant Margao are locked in the battle in all the 11 wards, billed as a semi-final clash between the two arch rivals, who have fought as many as three Assembly elections since 2007.
With high stakes involved in the election and that the Goa Forward chief is going to the people for the first time after the 2017 Assembly election, when he propped up the BJP government headed by Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar, Fatorda Forward seemed to have gone about systematically in a bid to ward off any threat to his bastion. Vijai must be certainly looking forward to retain the first four wards, Ward No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 and look forward to increase his tally of seats in the remaining wards. He has played all cards, including the ST, Bhandari cards and has given representations to almost all the religious and social groups in an apparent bid to repeat the 2015 feat.
Vibrant Margao, on the other hand, appears equally determined to stop Sardesai’s free run in Fatorda. BJP leader Damu Naik seemed to have played his cards well, including the ST card and minority card to checkmate his arch rival. The ruling party seemed to have focused more on around 5-6 seats, including Ward No. 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11, besides Ward No. 23 in neighbouring Curtorim constituency. Damu has a task cut out, to try and get the traditional BJP vote in favour of its candidates in the couple of wards, where its candidates hail from the minority community to keep the panel in good stead. That explains why BJP top leaders, including Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Cabinet Ministers are descending in Fatorda apparently to convey the message loud and clear to the party cadre and core voter base to support and elect the Vibrant Margao candidates.
