The Assembly election scheduled for February 14 is undoubtedly unprecedented and something we have never faced before. From persons jumping like frogs and swinging like monkeys till the very end of filing nominations, we have seen it all. With the final list of candidates now out, the ground reality is that it’s going to be a battle between the Congress “ Goa Forward coalition and the scam-ridden BJP. However, Panaji may require a strategic socio-political engineering to ensure the stunning defeat of Babush Monserrate. With everyone having suffered immensely under BJP’s misrule over the last decade, the only way to get the BJP out is to ensure that our votes are not split. More importantly, the hate campaign by the BJP is a threat to our very secular fabric. It is no secret that the so-called double engine of the BJP symbolizes corruption and communalism and is a grim reminder of their very devious agenda. This election may be our very last hope to save for posterity whatever remains of Goa. It is imperative that on February 14 for the love of Goa, for us and for our children, we vote wisely not squandering our votes as the consequences would be catastrophic and irreversible. The future is in our hands. Only we can make that desperately needed difference. This election is no doubt the most important verdict of the people since the famous opinion poll of January 1967 that decided the referendum between merger and separation. Let this election on an evocative Valentine’s Day also be remembered as the day that Goans rejected a merger of the old evil with tried and failed politicians who only believe and practice personal development. We need to elect candidates who can be trusted to deliver for the common good with dedication, accountability and integrity. In the current scenario, voting for the Congress-Goa Forward alliance is our only ray of hope. The alternative would not be worth thinking about.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
