FREDDY FERNANDES
PANJIM: Goa Assembly Elections 2022 are one of the most critical polls. Some have even billed it as the second Opinion Poll, where there is an appeal to save the soul of Goa and what it stands for. What exactly is the mood of the common man and woman, and what do they feel about the February 14 election with just a week to go?
Voters are looking for drastic change to break the cycle of money for jobs, votes for money and other malpractices. While many voters have turned cynical due to the endemic defections, most voters want all to come out and vote for clean and educated candidates.
One vendor in the Panjim market stated that he was fed up with empty promises and now a change was needed. Candidates had to deliver on employment and basic amenities such as water. He said in this election it was crucial to go out and vote. He urged voters not to take money but vote for the right candidate who will work for the people and serve them.
Rupa Dalvi, from Panjim, said what is required are highly educated people, who have a vision on how to develop Goa. “In Panjim, in particular, we need an educated MLA with a good vision. Other voters must also choose good candidates in their constituencies who are educated and with a vision and who will develop the constituencies,” she said.
Some voters are completely disillusioned with the 2022 elections for various reasons. There is chaos among political parties, one elderly voter narrated. “We are not interested as to who will win and what he or she will do. We just read the newspapers to find out what is happening,” he said. But he agreed on the need to participate in elections and vote. “One should not waste one’s vote. We have to vote for someone or the other,” he said.
Another elderly woman voter said in her typical down to earth wisdom, “What do I have to do with elections? The one who is to get elected, will get elected.”
She talked of more bread and butter issues in the Panjim market that confront them on a daily basis. “We are sitting in the market place for years, but there is not a single fan. We suffer in the heat. There is no proper clean toilet on the ground floor. We have to use the toilet on the first floor. If they repair the toilet, it is even good for our health,” she stated. She narrated that she votes every year and would vote this year as well.
Asked to comment on the mood of the people a week before the elections, a middle-aged woman voter said, “Nothing can be said before the election. What should I say?” She said she would go out and vote, but emphasized that this time they have to elect a new candidate.