the goan I network
MARGAO
Their political rivalry dates back to over a decade ago when they first locked horns in the 2007 election in the battle for Fatorda. Since then, Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai and his BJP arch rival Damu Naik have fought as many as three electoral battles on Fatorda grounds, before the post-2017 political developments, when the Goa Forward and the BJP shared power to keep the Congress at bay, brought about a truce in a true spirit of the coalition dharma.
Last week’s political developments, when Sardesai and his two Ministers were unceremoniously showed the door by the senior coalition partner, and the Goa Forward party withdrawing support to the coalition, however, threatens to bring the Goa Forward chief and Damu face to face once again.
After being virtually forced to maintain low profile in Fatorda, even as the former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar joined hands with rival Vijai Sardesai to share political power post-2017, Damu is bracing up to keep the BJP flag flying high in Fatorda.
Sources say the former two-time MLA had no option than to lie low in Fatorda, despite the fact that the BJP has a significant following in the constituency and had narrowly lost the seat in 2017. In fact, during the last two years and four months, Damu was not seen much in public life in the constituency. Even the die-hard party supporters wondered what lies in store for them and the party with the Goa Forward going great guns in Fatorda.
All this, however, appears to be a thing of the past. With the Goa Forward no more in the coalition government and the relations between the regional outfit and the ruling party having hit an all-time low, the BJP is out to recover the lost ground in Fatorda in a bid to engage with the leader of Goa Forward party in the 2022 Assembly election.
BJP State president Vinay Tendulkar was candid in saying the BJP will go all out in Fatorda and former MLA and party leader Damu Naik will play a significant role in the constituency in the keeping the party flag flying high. “BJP has a good following in Fatorda. We had lied low in Fatorda since the party was in coalition with the Goa Forward after the 2017 Assembly election,” Tendulkar said.
Damu Naik did not hide his joy over the political developments that unfolded in the State since last week. “It’s not that I wasn’t active in Fatorda over the last years and four months, but circumstances had pushed me to lie low. Even then, our workers carried out all the activities in Fatorda without fail,” Damu said. He added: “There’s a misconception that the Party leadership had instructed me not to put up banners and placards wishing the people of Fatorda on auspicious occasions. I had restricted my activities on my own so as not to antagonise the coalition partner.”
The shifting of power from Davondem, Sardesai’s residence to the Mutt area, the residence of the two-time former BJP MLA, has thrown up a debatable question “ who will take up the Fatorda’s development in the next two years during the current term “ the local MLA or the former MLA.
This question had in the past come to haunt the two political rivals when each tried to outwit the other on the development front when their respective parties were in power. During the last two years and four months, it was Sardesai who called the shot on the development front, initiating projects in the constituency with Damu confining himself to the party work. After last week’s development, Damu is not willing to lie low any longer, as he gears up to not only strengthen the party, but play a big role in executing and delivering schemes to the door steps of the people of Fatorda, which may bring the two leaders face to face once again.
