The BJP MLAs of South Goa are caught in a cleft stick. Viewed with suspicion from a section of their constituents for not whole heartedly supporting a private member’s resolution, jointly moved by Goa Forward Party (GFP) Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai and Congress Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco opposing the three linear projects, most of them abstained. By doing so they treaded the fine balance between supporting the people’s movement and not going against the BJP’s official line that these are developmental projects, except Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa who clearly told Herald (and his comments were recorded) that he would not contest on the BJP ticket in the next Assembly election.
However, Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa and Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha, though vocal in their support of their people, abstained from voting on the resolution with the former Environment Minister stating that she had a doctor’s appointment which coincided with the voting on the resolution in the Assembly. On the other hand, Water Resources Department (WRD) Minister and Velim MLA Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Transport Minister and Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho, Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, Cuncolim MLA Clafasio Dias opted to defend their party stance though Clafasio and Mauvin reiterated their firm opposition to coal transportation in Goa.
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And this is where the ambiguity and concern lies. As people demand clarity, apart from Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa, no other BJP MLA from constituencies which are in the hotbed of people’s protest against double track, has gone so far as to state that they will call out their party and break from it, should wide schism between people’s demands and the ruling party’s delivery become irreconciable.
And not withstanding their comments out of the Assembly, not a single MLA voted in favour of the private member’s resolution in the Assembly to scrap these linear projects. That is an undeniable fact. GARY AZAVEDO speaks to all of them and reports. We leave it to their constituents and other readers, to draw their own inferences from what they said
