TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Along with national parties, regional forces too are gearing up for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in Goa, scheduled on April 12.
After Dayanand Narvekar-led Goa Democratic Front (GDF) announced its entry in the electoral battle, the Goa Su-raj party – initially pushing for a combined regional force – has also decided to contest both the Lok Sabha seats.
The Communist Party of India (CPI) has also decided to contest both the seats as its members gear up for a meeting on March 18 to take final call on the issue and to finalize candidates. CPI would be jumping into fray on mining issues including retrenchment of workers, their sufferings and other trade union-related issues.
The Goa Vikas Party (GVP) which extended support to BJP-led government during the March 2012 assembly elections is also in fray for the parliamentary polls. The party, whose executive committee would be meeting this week to decide on poll strategy, is toying with the idea of contesting both seats.
Speaking to Herald, GVP legislator Francisco Mickky Pacheco said that party is open to all options including going it alone at the polls and that the party had identified a few names. “The executive members would be meeting this week to decide on the issue. Another possibility is that we would extend support to any party,” he said.
GVP had openly criticized the BJP government on several fronts, especially on the controversial Mopa airport issue.
GSRP Secretary and president (youth affairs) Savio Rodrigues confirmed that the party is going alone. According to sources, the party is eyeing to field candidates from minority section-Muslim (North) and Catholic (South) with one of these seats to be offered to a woman. Indications are that party candidates would be finalized by March 18.
Party sources further confirmed that Su-raj party could not unite all regional forces because of difference of opinion of the political fronts on various issues including Mopa-Dabolim, fights for North-South seats and other related issues.
Macro picture suggests that the smaller regional outfits will eat into votes of the Congress or BJP and there is a huge possibility that a number of independents who will also be in the fray may withdraw given the previous electoral politics witnessed in the State.
