CANACONA
Unlike many other talukas in the State which have a large number of assembly seats, Canacona taluka has only one seat, and that too, it is fractured, as Khola village in Canacona taluka is part of the Quepem constituency.
But given the many political leaders aspiring to contest from the Canacona constituency elections in 2027, the State’s southernmost taluka is abuzz with aspirants, caste/tribal equations, potential alliances and rebellion.
BJP MLA and ST leader Ramesh Tawadkar has served five terms, including bye-polls, while ST leader and former Canacona MLA Vasu Paik Gaonkar served four terms — once on an MGP ticket and thrice as a Congress candidate. Former MLA Isidore Fernandes has also represented the constituency multiple times.
Since the constituency was delimited in 2012, its political equations have undergone considerable change. As the BJP expanded its presence in the taluka, the party faced rebellion in the 2017 polls when then-minister Tawadkar contested as an Independent after being denied the BJP ticket. His candidature split the BJP vote, helping Congress candidate Isidore Fernandes win the seat.
Fernandes subsequently joined the BJP, resulting in three BJP leaders being in the fray in Canacona in 2022. Tawadkar was eventually given the BJP ticket and defeated rebel Independents Fernandes and Vijay Poi Khot, with the divided opposition vote working to his advantage.
Since his victory, Tawadkar has worked to rebuild and consolidate the party organisation, bringing various factions and block committees together.
However, opposition parties, including Congress, Goa Forward Party (GFP), AAP and RGP, have continued efforts to expand their presence in the constituency. This has also resulted in several potential candidates emerging, raising the possibility of a fractured opposition.
Former MLAs Fernandes and Khot have both indicated their intention to contest the 2027 polls. Former Goa Cricket Association president Chetan Desai is also being seen as a potential candidate.
Internal, external
alliances
Possible alliances are considered crucial to pose a serious threat to the BJP in Canacona.
However, uncertainty continues over a possible pre-poll understanding between Congress and GFP. The two parties had joined hands for the 2022 Assembly and 2026 Zilla Panchayat polls in Poinguinim and Khola, but BJP candidates won two of the three contests. Congress won the Khola ZP seat, which comprised Khola and Betul-Naqueri in Quepem and Agonda and Shristhal in Canacona.
Amid speculation that GFP could be allotted the Canacona seat under a Congress-GFP alliance, Fernandes joined GFP. However, Congress made it clear it would not accept former defectors as alliance candidates, leaving his political plans uncertain. Fernandes, meanwhile, has maintained that he will contest the forthcoming election with or without party backing.
Congress and RGP may have worked out an alliance at the State level, but RGP has limited organisational presence in Canacona, making its impact on the constituency uncertain.
While GFP has an established presence in Canacona, AAP's organisational footprint remains limited, leaving GFP to build its campaign largely on its own.
The BJP, meanwhile, has sought to contain internal dissent by accommodating one aspirant with a plum posting and involving others in party activities alongside Tawadkar.
The possibility of rebellion, however, remains, particularly with former MLA Khot indicating that he could contest either as an Independent or with another party.
The BJP-MGP alliance also faces an uncertain equation in Canacona. While the two parties have traditionally worked together, MGP has little organisational presence in the taluka. Several leaders who previously worked closely with MGP now hold key positions in the BJP, including Divakar Pagui, once an MGP ticket aspirant and currently Canacona BJP block general secretary.
With political equations remaining fluid, the BJP-MGP understanding could also come under strain. Canacona youth Mayur Khot Kankonkar, who is reportedly close to MGP, has already expressed his desire to contest the 2027 Assembly polls and declared himself a probable MGP candidate.
