MARGAO
Marcaim had been the fiefdom of MGP leader Ramkrishna alias Sudin Dhavalikar. In fact, Marcaim has always given the BJP unassailable lead over the Congress in almost every election, whenever Sudin batted for the BJP.
The Dhavalikar effect was all there to see in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls after Sudin gave a call to his followers to vote against the BJP. In fact, political observers say the Sudin effect contributed to the BJP’s defeat in South Goa in 2019, paving the way for the Congress to regain the seat.
Otherwise, consider this. If BJP sitting MP Narendra Sawaikar had secured an unassailable 11,143 votes lead in Marcaim in 2014, virtually sealing the fate of then Congress candidate Reginaldo Lourenco, the BJP struggled in Sudin’s fiefdom in 2019, managing to garner a lead of only 2000 vote over the Congress in Marcaim.
Take note, Congress candidate Francisco Sardinha had wrested the South Goa seat from siting MP Narendra Sawaikar by a slender margin of 9,755 votes, giving a clear indication how the Dhavalikar effect in Marcaim had a bearing on the BJP’s defeat in the husting.
