ZP polls: Cong weighs options for non-BJP front

Will the non-opposition parties stitch an alliance after the unity show at the SGPDA grounds on the eve of Diwali festival last month?

MARGAO
With less than a month remaining for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat elections—and the BJP going all out to retain control of the South Goa Zilla Panchayat—the spotlight has shifted back to the Congress and other opposition parties. A series of contentious questions are now front and centre: How will the non-BJP parties attempt to halt the BJP’s momentum in the polls? Can the Congress successfully bring regional outfits such as the Goa Forward Party and the Revolutionary Goans Party on board through an alliance or seat-sharing arrangement to challenge the BJP? And how will these parties position themselves in Salcete, where nine of the 25 seats are up for grabs?

The Congress finds itself at the centre of these deliberations, especially as it weighs how to accommodate the interests of the Goa Forward Party and the Revolutionary Goans Party before formalising any alliance. The question is particularly significant because the Congress and these two regional parties share portions of the non-BJP vote base.

Against this backdrop, the three parties are expected to return to the negotiating table in the coming week to discuss seat-sharing arrangements, with the aim of preserving the non-BJP vote and preventing fragmentation.

This is especially crucial in Salcete, where nine seats are at stake and the BJP is considered a strong contender in only two or three constituencies.

With the Aam Aadmi Party opting to go solo in the ZP polls, sources say the Congress cannot afford any further division of the non-BJP vote—particularly in politically significant Salcete—if it hopes to reclaim control of the South Goa Zilla Panchayat.

Congress and its voter base in Salcete

Salcete has been the power house of the Congress over the years, with the seats in Salcete holding the key for the party’s success in both Assembly and local body elections. In fact, Congress’ electoral fortunes depend largely on Salcete in all elections as any fluctuations in the taluka have a direct bearing on coming to power.

In the 2020 ZP election, the Congress had won just three out of the nine seats up for grabs from Salcete and the party drew a blank in the remaining talukas, paving the way for BJP returning to power in the South ZP constituency.

But, none other than the Congress leaders know that the party lost a couple of seats in Salcete due to a split in the non-BJP votes due to the presence of Aam Aadmi Party and other players in the fray.

Against this backdrop, the Congress will have to grapple with a crucial question – is the party in a position to overcome the presence of non-BJP parties and manage to win majority of seats from Salcete? Or, will the party see reason and accommodate the interests of the non-BJP parties, especially the Goa Forward and Revolutionary Goans Party.

Goa Forward and Revolutionary Goans

Since its formation about a decade ago, the Goa Forward Party had stayed away from the Zilla Panchayat polls. But with the party now eyeing a few seats in both Salcete and areas outside the taluka, questions are being raised about the number of seats the regional party is demanding—and how the Congress intends to respond.

The Goa Forward Party has already staked its claim on the Raia and Davorlim Zilla Panchayat seats, along with a couple of seats in South Goa and North Goa. In fact, it has already announced its candidate for the Raia seat, which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes. However, Raia and Davorlim are also constituencies where the Congress enjoys significant influence. This leads to the crucial question of how the two parties will approach seat-sharing—or whether the process will ultimately result in “friendly fights”.

Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Goans Party is expected to lay claim to several seats across the State. As of now, it remains unclear how many seats the party is targeting in Salcete, where it had surprised political observers with its impressive performance in the 2022 Assembly elections.

BJP to defend Davorlim and Guirdolim; mulls tactical support to cut Oppn tally

MARGAO: Though nine of the 25 South Goa Zilla Panchayat seats fall in the minority-dominated Salcete region, the BJP is expected to focus only on Davorlim and Guirdolim in a bid to retain the two seats it won in the 2020 election.

Reports from within the ruling camp indicate that the party is still deciding how to approach the remaining seven seats. In at least four constituencies—Nuvem, Colva, Benaulim and Velim—the BJP currently has no organisational base to mount a serious contest. It remains to be seen whether the party will test the waters in Navelim, Raia and Curtorim, where it maintains a limited but noticeable presence.

Speaking to The Goan, a senior BJP leader said the party does not want to waste time, energy or resources contesting seats where winning is largely unrealistic. The leader, however, admitted that the BJP may extend strategic or tactical support to select candidates to defeat Congress or alliance-backed contenders, with the objective of reducing the Opposition’s overall tally.

The BJP had contested the Navelim seat in the 2020 ZP election, but its efforts fell significantly short, despite multiple non-BJP candidates being in the fray. “As of now, the party has decided to go all out to retain the Davorlim and Guirdolim ZP seats. As for the remaining seven seats, the party will take an appropriate call on how best to counter the Congress and reduce the Opposition numbers,” the BJP leader said.

AAP to contest all nine Salcete ZP seats, takes fight to Congress

MARGAO: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) opened its electoral account in Goa during the 2020 Zilla Panchayat elections, winning the Benaulim seat in style by defeating candidates backed by former NCP MLA Churchill Alemao and the Congress.

With the Arvind Kejriwal-led party firmly ruling out any alliance with the Congress or other non-BJP outfits, AAP has come back into sharp focus in the run-up to the ZP polls scheduled for December.

As of now, AAP is expected to contest all nine ZP seats in Salcete. In doing so, the party will go head-to-head with the Congress as well as other non-BJP parties such as the Goa Forward Party and the Revolutionary Goans Party.

Viewed as a semi-final test ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, the upcoming ZP polls are being taken seriously by the AAP leadership. Sources say the party intends to go all out—not only to assess its organisational strength but also to demonstrate to other non-BJP players that AAP is now a permanent force in Goa’s political landscape.

According to sources, another key reason for AAP’s aggressive approach is its desire to negotiate from a position of strength in the event of any future alliance discussions with non-BJP forces. “The upcoming ZP polls give AAP an opportunity to show that it is firmly rooted at the grassroots. Winning a couple of seats will give the party the leverage needed to stake claim to seats in future elections,” a senior leader said.

As things stand today, AAP appears poised to go all out in Velim, Benaulim, and Colva—the ZP constituencies that fall under the Assembly segments of Velim and Benaulim, currently represented by AAP MLAs Cruz Silva and Venzy Viegas.

Sources add that the party is drawing up strategies to capitalise on its growing presence in Curtorim, Navelim, Nuvem, Raia, and Guirdolim, aiming to turn the tide against the Congress and other non-BJP parties.