Honesty is the required glue for a real mahagatbandhan

It’s a word which is trending and streaking through the political horizon of Goa much to the bewilderment of some and to the amusement of the BJP. The word in question is ‘Mahagatbandhan’. It’s a hindi word and for Goan readers it is important to once again reiterate (it was done in the edit page column on Sunday) and simplify the term. ‘Maha’ is grand. The root of the word gatbandhan, lies in Hindu marriage traditions. When a couple get united in matrimony a piece of cloth is tied around their waists to join them.
The word of course has taken massive political connotations to define alliances, the most recent being that of unlikely allies Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav in Bihar. In Goa, which is ill at ease with Hindi, ‘mahagatbandhan’ or not has become the most intense opposition debate, in a state whose people are looking for a credible clean alternative to replace the BJP. And how this plays out will simply decide the course of the next elections with one rider. If the loss of trust in the Congress and other fledgling and solo leader led formations is complete, the BJP will have only AAP to worry about.
At present the ground situation needs to be dawn out. The honest truth is that the Luzinho Faleiro-led Congress initially started off by being absolutely firm on this by saying that there should be no alliance and other forces like the Goa Forward had to be a part of the Congress. It is important to point out here that at that point of time Valpoi MLA Vishwajeet Rane had taken a stand that he would not associate with his party if it brought in Vijai Sardesai. Subsequently, the AICC general Secretary in charge of Goa Digvijaya Singh said at the full meeting of PCC office bearers that the Congress would contest all 40 seats. He had said at that point of time that there would no Mahagatbandhan.
Subsequently, there appears to be clear rethink when pragmatism has triumphed pride. Vishwajeet Rane has gone to the extent of stating “I don’t want to be part of an organization that can’t see the reality. It is high time the Congress takes the lead to bring all anti-BJP forces together”. He has issued a veiled threat of quitting while pushing for a grand alliance of bringing all the anti-BJP forces together. It’s ironic that his quitting and presumably forming a fledgling party will play into the BJP hands. But for now Junior Rane is one of the prime voices calling for a grand alliance. Interestingly Luizinho Faleiro is walking the middle path. He maintains that he is not against the alliance by saying “ Digvijaya Singh had said no mahagatbandhan for now. But no party can afford to go it alone in 2017”. He however throws a challenge at those wanting to ally with the Congress by saying “From day 1, I’ve been asking for a mahagatbandhan in the assembly. To prove their bonafides, let there be a unified opposition in the Assembly”. Having said that, this opposition unity has actually been witnessed and hence Mr Faleiro’s insinuation that it hasn’t been isn’t quite correct. In fact there has been less of a unity among the Congress’ own flanks than with other anti BJP forces. However Mr Faleiro’s greater openness on the issue is a good starting point for mahagatbandhan protagonists.
However there are still disparate voices emanating on the issue which is par for the course as far as the Congress is concerned. One of their senior spokespersons Jitendra Deshprabhu asked those who want to ally with the Congress not to piggyback on the party and join it instead. GPCC General Secretary and Spokesman Yatish Naik said “People can see through the reason for the mushrooming of political parties in election year. Together with the people the Congress party will emerge victorious in 2017”. A pretty tall claim this.
The scepticism of the anti mahagatbandhan forces is two-fold. A) The fear that the Modi government at the centre can break any alliance. If they could break the Congress government with a full majority in Arunachal Pradesh (where it had 47 out of 60 MLAs), a repeat performance in Goa would be child’s play. B) Babush Monserrate and Mickky Pachecho who are for the moment anti-BJP forces, have to pass the mahagathbandhan loyalty test. A post poll scenario of pre-poll allies backing the BJP in the name of “development” with a ministry in return, is a possibility that no political watcher can rule out.
Therefore for a genuine alliance to take place, each should tone down individual aspirations to realistic levels and at the same time work on some formula where this remains intact after the elections. Both are easier said than done because at the end of the day, the stakeholders are ambitious politicians, not visionaries for a better Goa.