The NCP has formally announced its death knell and moved out of the political space, walking into a non-glorious sunset, and with it opening up the no congress non-BJP space even more.
To be honest the mass resignation of NCP office bearers has little or no impact in the current political equations or the system in Goa. For the past three years Sharad Pawar’s party, has been an absolute non entity, limited to frequent press conferences. The appointment of the unheard of Suhas Valavaikar, is a clear indication that the NCP supremo, has reduced his party unit in Goa to a platform for deal making. He has such little interest in his party unit that funds for day to day running are not released. So obviously there is no money for building the organisation, or even conducting a membership drive. The impact of the mass exit of its office bearers will be irrelevant in an irrelevant party.
However this development has to be seen in a larger context of opposition politics. Not too long ago the NCP had ministers like Jose Philip D’Souza and Nilkant Haldankar who held the Urban Development and Tourism portfolios. Even the current Nuvem MLA Mickky Pacheco has had ministerial stints on the NCP banner. The current doom of the party is the erosion of one more element in the non-Congress, non-BJP space for whatever it is worth. With the GVP weakened with the troubles Mickky Pacheco is facing and the UGDP not a political force anymore, there are no small parties who earlier played important roles in keeping the government in check.
Currently with the Congress too weak to claim the anti- incumbency space, caused by the erosion of goodwill towards the BJP, especially by its new found followers among the minorities, we are in a piquant situation akin to having a football ground with no players. The danger in keeping this space not filled for long, will be ominous. The BJP still has a year and a half to work on its anti-minority image and repair some of the damage due to the non implementation of the Regional Plan. In a situation where the Congress cannot claim the anti- incumbency vote and there being no other alternative, BJP may retain some of its current base, without deserving to. The NCP’s virtual obliteration is a symbolic blip to further certify this.
The way forward for civil society as well as existing members of dormant regional units is to independently work towards a polity which is people chosen and people centric. To do that, there has to be movement towards clean politics by clean people culminating in selecting fresh candidates for the next elections under a new fresh political formation. Thus far, this has not taken a shape though there have been signs of commitment emanating from sections of civil society especially from Salcete.
However there appears to be no passionate peoples thrust or movement in this direction yet. The passing away of the NCP may not matter to them, but being forced to re- elect BJP, a party which has played with peoples expectations will hurt.
The irony is that once upon a time, Goa, fed up of toppling games and instability prayed for a strong two party polity. It now wishes for at least one player who can enter into the credible opposition space and then take the ruling space. Goa’s tragedy will be if this gap between wishes and reality is not bridged
