The return of tribal leader and the head of the United Tribal Association Alliance Prakash S Velip to the BJP, a party he had quit on the eve of the last Assembly elections, will throw open a wide array of political possibilities, the most significant of this being the equation between the BJP and the MGP. Velip contested as an independent candidate in a seat which was allotted to the MGP and contested by Prakash Arjun Velip referred to as junior Velip. The split of votes between the two namesakes led to Babu Kavlekar winning again. The re-entry of senior Velip sends an important political message to the MGP, that the BJP is planning to contest this seat and field senior Velip.
If it was any other seat, this wouldn’t have assumed significance but Quepem is very much a part of the MGP’s ambitious footprint in 2017. For the BJP too this sudden entry of Prakash Velip, a move spearheaded by Manohar Parrikar alone, is not going to be completely smooth sailing. For instance Amol Kanekar, one a close ally of Babu Kavlekar and a councillor, recently moved over to the BJP side with a hope or a promise of a ticket. Velip’s entry has immediately upset at least one aspirant. But that’s not all. It will be a massive challenge on the part of the BJP to overcome growing anger among the Scheduled Tribes that the 12 point promise, made by the government after the Balli riots in early 2012, was not fulfilled. The BJP, then in opposition, had promised to fulfill these promises. Ironically it was Prakash Velip, who had taken on this very BJP government for its failure to deliver on promises to tribals.
In January he held an agitation at Azad Maidan, to press for the demand for political reservation in the 2017 elections. He charged that their prime demand of giving political reservation to the ST community was ignored despite petitioning governments at the centre and the state.
“Our rights have been denied. In 2007 and 2012 elections, political reservation was denied to us, despite repeated memorandums and agitations held in the state,” he said. Another area of concern are vacancies for the tribal people in various government departments. “I urge the state government to fill the vacant posts at the earliest. There are 2,000 vacancies reserved for the tribal people. The government should also give promotions which are presently held up. The pending issue of funds allotted for the tribal welfare not being rightly utilised by the government”, he said at a press conference.
Therefore, by bringing in Velip to the party, the BJP needs to show intent by delivering on promises, which Prakash Velip himself has been harping on. However, if tribals feel that this is an opportunistic inclusion to play with tribal sentiments, then the move could backfire. In that case the MGP is eagerly waiting to tap into tribal discontent for political gains because it is clear that the Dhavalikars will not step back and give up the Quepem seat or any other seat in the area where it feels it has a chance and a claim.
