There has been simmering resentment within the BJP over the 10 MLAs switching over, as many party workers believed that their political futures had been seriously dented by the defections. Never willing to be outwitted, BJP after losing to Congress miserably in 2017, has made attempts to grab absolute power in the State, and the resignation of the 10 MLAs from the Congress was a step in that direction.
The chaos in the Congress, the leadership muddle and its uncertain future, seems to have prompted several of its leaders to jump ship, hoping to find greater stability and a more definite shot at power. They (10 MLAs) called it a ‘sacrifice for development’ of the constituency. However, the BJP will now understand that defections aren’t just about beefing up numbers. They have other consequences too, and most important among them is how they may end up ‘diluting’ a party’s core. BJP, for instance, is a cadre-based party with ideology as the pivot, but the string of ‘outsiders’ means a gradual easing out – something the staunch BJP worker or old school leader often points to these days. Defections also underscored the question of ethics and morals, of how a politician’s thirst for greener pastures overrides everything else and whether politics really should be about just being on the winning side.
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With the announcement of the ZP elections, BJP has slowly begun to feel the heat. Several party leaders like Subash Phaldesai and former president and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar have had a public spat over the candidature. It was repeated with Pandurang Madkaikar and Siddesh Sripad Naik. These elections have seen loyal BJP worker, Bhavesh Zambaulikar, member of the party’s national executive and also leader of BJYM, resigned from all posts and is contesting as an independent from Rivona constituency, only because he was denied a party ticket. To avoid a similar incident, the party hurriedly decided to grant a party ticket to Siddesh Naik from St Andre constituency, despite reservations from sitting MLA Madkaikar, who was also a Congress import ahead of 2017 elections.
Former Thivim MLA and now the party spokesperson Kiran Kandolkar is also upset with the party for the denial of a ZP ticket to his wife. Not only the above, there are many other senior BJP leaders in Goa who are unhappy. Party veterans Rajendra Arlekar and Laxmikant Parsekar have expressed displeasure openly. If this was not enough, Panjim constituency, in recent times, has seen twitter-fights between former Panjim MLA Siddharth Kuncoliencar and Mayor Uday Madkaikar.
While BJP is expected to win more seats in North Goa, it has to keep its flock together as all does not seem to be going well for the party there too. This is another big challenge for CM Dr Pramod Sawant to steer the party to victory in the elections, which can be seen as a curtain raiser to the Assembly elections in 2022, as it will reveal the support base of the parties. The defection of 10 Congress MLAs to the BJP might have given the saffron party a comfortable majority in the Assembly, but it has also shocked the core BJP supporters as well as the people of the State. And it is bound to create pressure groups within the BJP, which Sawant may find difficult to deal in the days ahead.
