MARGAO
The unfolding developments in the ruling BJP in a day when the 'woman factor' took centre stage over the candidate for the South Goa Lok Sabha seat, has left Congress leaders in a wait-and-watch mode, but not before leading a host of questions for the main opposition party to handle.
Party leaders, be it Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao or other senior leaders preferred to adopt a wait-and-watch approach in reacting to the unfolding developments in the ruling camp. In fact, Congress leaders suspect that the ruling BJP is working on a game plan to take the Congress off guard in the candidate selection.
Party leaders in private say the entire drama may have been enacted by the ruling party leadership just to postpone the declaration of the candidate for South Goa in view of the battle for the ticket between ex-MP Narendra Sawaikar and ex-deputy chief minister Chandrakant Kavlekar.
“Maybe the BJP leadership hopes to resolve the candidate issue if the Congress unveils its candidate first. The sudden decision to consider the woman factor for the Lok Sabha poll seemed part of the BJP strategy to take the Congress off guard,” remarked a Congress leader, adding, “We are not going to fall in the trap of the BJP. Our leaders will keep the party leadership abreast of the development in the BJP camp and not rush with the declaration of party candidate for South Goa."
Sources in the know pointed out that the Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) was expected to meet during the weekend to finalise the party candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa. “Let us wait and see how the situation unfolds now in view of the developments in the BJP camp,” the leader said.
New equation tricky poser for Cong
How would the Congress grapple with the emerging situation in the event the BJP prefers to field a woman candidate for the South Goa Lok Sabha seat?
Will the Congress also look for a woman leader capable of taking on the BJP in the coming election? And, how would the party react if the BJP fields Shafali Vaidya for South Goa? Will the party opt for a Hindu candidate to take on Shafali given her strong views on Portuguese rule and the religious persecutions during the colonial rule?
Well, after the name of Cuncolim-born Pune-based Shafali Vaidya did the rounds in political circles as one of the candidates shortlisted by the BJP for South Goa, questions were raised about whether the Congress can afford to field a Catholic candidate given her outspoken views on Portuguese and conversions. “If Shafali is the BJP candidate, fielding a Catholic candidate by the Congress runs the risk of making the election a Hindu versus Catholic battle, which the Congress can ill afford given the changing dynamics in South Goa,” a Congress leader said.
Another Congress leader, however, exuded confidence that Vaidya may not cut much ice with the electorate given that the Congress too has a base amongst the majority community. The Congress leader further pointed out that the party should not fall in the trap laid by the BJP by bringing the woman factor to the fore. "The Congress should unveil the party candidate only after the BJP declares its candidate,” he said.
The Congress screening committee had last week shortlisted three candidates for the South Goa seat including sitting MP Francisco Sardinha, ex-GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar and Capt Viriato Fernandes. Incidentally, the ex-GPCC chief Chodankar has made a strong bid for the ticket for South Goa given the changing dynamics in the constituency, which is no longer minority-dominated.
