New Delhi: As Goa, a tiny coastal state, is going to polls on February 14, the national political parties and several regional political parties have ramped up their ante against the ruling national party, the Bharatiya Janata Party. Hectic parleys by all political parties to woo the voters through social media, door-to-door campaigns and virtual rallies are in full-throttle in the state.
The Congress in alliance with regional parties, TMC and AAP are ensued in verbal duel either amongst the parties or against the ruling party, the BJP. BJP is facing the stiffest challenge in 2022 Assembly election of Goa. Recently, PM Narendra Modi during his speech in the Parliament tore into the Congress party by saying that then PM JL Nehru delayed the liberation of Goa from Portuguese rule by 15 years. BJP is also facing anti-incumbency due to its rule in the state. Congress has gone to an extent of taking their coalition partners to the door-of-gods for not defecting after the polls.
Millennium Post spoke to leaders of national political parties and regional parties and most of these political parties alone or in coalition with regional parties are confident of forming the government.
Churchill Alemao, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Benaulim candidate, former chief minister and MP representing the South Goa Lok Sabha constituency, says, "BJP will be routed in the state as in the West Bengal assembly elections at the hands of Mamata Banerjee. TMC has a coalition with MGP (Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party) and these two parties are a force to be reckoned with in the present elections. People of the state have realised that both parties, the Congress and BJP are like husband-wife and do not work for the welfare of the Goans. Our election manifesto for Goa elections shall attract voters as it is quite similar to the West Bengal manifesto, where the promises are being fulfilled and seen by the voters. Our party shall also revive our favourite sport of bull-fight and schemes for fishermen."
A very brief conversation with the son of a former Union minister and four-time Goa chief minister, late Manohar Parrikar's, son Utpal Parrikar, who is contesting as an independent candidate from Panjim in the Assembly elections, says, "Wherever, I am going, am getting full support." The elder son of BJP stalwart and former CM late Manohar Parrikar has filed his nomination as an independent after the BJP- ruling party denied him a ticket from Panaji, a seat represented in the assembly for long by his father.
Amarnath Panjikar, chairman media cell, Indian National Congress, proffers, "On March 10, when the results shall be out, the INC will have won the majority seats and form the government in the state. Only rhetorics shall not get the seats to BJP, moreover, the BJP government in the last five years has been a failure in respect to law and order, their party politicians have been accused of rape and involved in sex scandals. Goa tourism known worldwide has gone to the docks with policies of BJP government in state and they are all visionless. The government failed on all fronts, including health services: more than 3700 people died because of COVID-19 and more than 300 people without oxygen supply."
Narendra Sawaikar, general secretary, Goa-BJP, says, "Since Independence, and in the last five years of the BJP, the state has witnessed the unprecedented growth, be it in the areas of tourism, infrastructure, education, law and order, social security and health. In the last terms of BJP rule, there has been prosperity in the state and during Congress rule the citizens of the state just got peanuts and never saw any development. Even PM-Modiji during his speech in Parliament referred to Goa's liberation from Portugal rule which was delayed by then PM Nehru. People of Goa will not forgive the misdeeds of the Congress and the election results will prove it."
Jose Luis Carlos Almeida, an MLA in the BJP government from 2017-2022 and now running on a Congress MLA ticket, rues, "BJP has become a communal party and is strategising its poll plank on communal, caste and religion lines. Until Manohar Parrikar was alive and the chief minister of the state, the government functioned on the agenda of inclusiveness, but since his death the politics in the state has changed, corruption is rampant and the party is not that secular, now. The Congress shall win with a comfortable majority in the ongoing elections."
Durgadas Kamat, general secretary, Goa Forward Party (GFP), informs, "GFP is contesting on three Assembly seats in alliance with the INC. The BJP or for that reason all other political parties shall feel the taste of defeat, at least the BJP. GFP is working on the 'restore the identity' of Goa and Goanese culture. In regime of BJP, the state has gone to docks and except corruption and sex scandals by some BJP party functionaries, nothing has moved forward. Goa is heading for change and we shall celebrate on March 10 when the results will be announced."
Valmiki Naik, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), says, "Though, AAP is the new entrant in Goa but shall throw away the BJP as we have done in Delhi. With the party's digital door-to-door campaign, we are reaching out to every home and informing that one of the BJP's ministers was involved in a sex scandal and had to resign and again got the ticket to contest the elections, furthermore other BJP functionaries are involved in oxygen scam and selling jobs. AAP's list of candidates is very sought after and will form the government in the state."
BJP and other political parties fielded Christian candidates in 2017 assembly elections and few Christians won on BJP tickets but during present elections, the BJP is fielding from the GSB samaj, OBCs, Scheduled Tribes, the Scheduled Castes, Marathas and other castes, whereas other parties have fielded the candidates on secular plank and have formed a bigger bloc to arrest power from the ruling party.
Goa has 40 Assembly seats and the halfway mark is at 21, and it is to be seen how and who forms the government. It is also said for Goan voters around 50-percent voters remain undecided until they go to polls, and are emotional voters.