I totally and wholeheartedly endorse Jason Keith Fernandes’s OpEd where he says that people are looking for a change. They will not have anything to do with the Congress which has not learnt anything despite being in the wilderness for almost 4 years. The BJP has shown us in the same four years that they are no different from the Congress be it at governance or reducing corruption. In fact they are making hay out of the issues that shined while the Congress was in power, SEZ, Casinos, Mining scams, projects in No Development Zones….. After four years in power they have not been able to nail even one case of corruption against the Congress despite their election plank being “zero tolerance to corruption”.
However, where we disagree is the fact that he seems to feel that a weak government i.e. a minority or coalition government would serve better, with more assembly discussions and cabinet meetings, rather than a dictatorial orders, and where everybody might be too concerned about their survival to do much damage. The UPA government was an example of a weak coalition government and we all know what happened.
In the UPA government there were no cabinet discussions, each coalition partner decided what he wanted to do in the portfolio that was allocated as a right to his party. Be it the coal scam or the 3G scam ….. The fact that even the PM’s post was a compromise did not help matters. In a coalition, it is clear that each partner looks at the formation of the Government as an act to divide the spoils of the electoral war. Each partner wants a piece of the cake, plum ministries go to the strongest. The weaker partners are left sulking with smaller portfolios or chairmanships of some government corporation.
There is surely no discussions and debate. Everyone is only concerned about survival, so the idea is to generate enough to fight the next electoral battle and come out stronger. It turns the focus on the creation of satraps, each leader tries to consolidate his position in the party in such a way that even if the party decides to part ways with him, he still reigns supreme. This is best seen in cases where a party decides to take disciplinary action against a leader and the next moment he is contesting and winning as an independent against the parties official candidate. So a coalition is not an answer or a solution.
This does not mean brute majority is a great idea. What is key in any democracy is a responsible opposition. In Goa, this was a role the Congress could have tried to play but simply could not get their act together till date. The reason for this failure is the skeletons in their cupboards was used as a Damocles sword over their heads to ensure their silence. The lone exception being their young Congress MLA who may have not given then a handle to twist and the fire brand independents who are showing some semblance of responsible opposition.
The current situation is as bad as when the Congress was in power and hence the electorate needs to act as decisively as they did in 2012. There is no question of half way home. There is no question of first aim for a weak coalition and then next time try and get a better government. Many options have come into play. So far three new parties are already on the starting blocks, the Aam Admi Party, Goa SuRaj party and Goa Forward have announced their intentions loudly and clearly. They must now contest sufficient seats to be able to make a difference.
Personally I believe the Congress, as a party should retire from the electoral fray as their leaders are all capable of floating individual parties and they will eventually. They are being termed a party of grandfathers and most can only see the future through their sons or daughters, as they believe that Goa does not have any other young people with potential and like their leadership dynastic rule must be perpetuated at any cost.
If the electorate is expected to deliver a verdict, it cannot happen if there are no contestants or if the process is compromised. Democracy unfortunately also has its drawbacks, and one of them is the “first past the post” principal. So if ten candidates contest and if one gets 11 votes, then despite the fact that 89% did not vote for him, he gets elected. This is the fear that is being drilled into the electorate that if all non BJP parties do not come together, it will mean that the BJP will sneak past the post due to division of votes.
Why should the electorate be assumed to be foolish. Why should one assume that the electorate cannot see the wood for the trees. They acted perfectly in 2012 and threw out the Congress, why should they behave any differently is 2016/17? Let any candidate stand and surely the electorate will choose wisely. They are surely responsible enough to make the right choice.
If there is a coalition or mahagatbandan, then it will be the electorate who will get fooled in the long run. The primary aim of the gathbandan will be to stop the BJP, even if they succeed, they what? What will be the way forward for the next 5 years. Will it not mean another UPA with a different clothes, it is the professional politicians who are scared let us not succumb to their fears and get fooled. Let us vote freely to ensure Goa has a future.
(The author prefers to write rather than chat in a balcao)
