The pitfalls of power are bringing to the BJP some unwanted guests. Guests like arrogance, and overconfidence which has seen them distancing themselves from their most loyal fellow traveller, the MGP.
At a party meeting at Calangute on Tuesday, even the thinnest of transparent cloths that veiled the uneasy relationship with the MGP was taken off in manner which is totally ill advised and will bring the BJP no dividends. And it is clear from what happened at the Calangute meeting, that the ownership of breaking the alliance with the MGP, has been taken by General Secretary Satish Dhond, with a grand mandate of whoever is controlling the Goa BJP at the moment. And to set the record straight it is neither Manohar Parrikar or Vinay Tendulkar or Laxmikant Parsekar.
Senior office bearers of the BJP and some MLAs were taken aback at the belligerent attack on the MGP by Satish Dhond. He, according to an office bearer who was present, called the MGP a 5% party and reportedly added “I do not have to elaborate on what that means”. It is clear that he was making a veiled reference to allegation of kickbacks in the PWD department, which has been held by the MGP.
MGP’s recent membership overdrive in talukas, where the majority of new members are crossovers from the BJP, has irked, shocked and rattled the BJP. Satish Dhond, who is affectionate towards the Bicholim taluka and considers the Bicholim Zilla Parishad as his very own, took the exodus of BJP workers from Bicholim as part of the 600 MGP workers who joined the MGP this week; as a personal affront. He not only attacked the MGP, but asked all workers and grass-root level functionaries to declare that the BJP and the MGP will not be together in the Zilla Parishad elections. The party then decided not to officially severe ties, till the third week of February but make it clear, through a grass-root word of mouth campaign that the alliance, at the Zilla Parishad level, was over.
It was only Deputy Chief Minister Francis D Souza who actually toed the Satish Dhond line against the MGP by saying that “the BJP doesn’t need crutches to win elections”.
Within the party there is genuine disquiet at this sudden upping the ante against the MGP, rather than sit across and discuss issues nagging both of them. At the same time, it is perfectly safe to assume, that there is indeed a section within the BJP organisation as well as the legislature party which realizes that the MGP could well become a alternate space for more in the party. This will damage the BJP and not the MGP.
Meanwhile, the decision to contest the ZP elections on party lines isn’t the smartest decision of the BJP in some time. This will create political rivals at the lowest level and at the same time create more ticket aspirants for the assembly elections because that will be the next giant leap for successful ZP members. The management of expectations will become extremely challenging in this situation
It is also evident that the MGP is on a consolidation and growth mode in its backyard of Priol, Ponda, Shiroda, Sanguem and Canacona. The three seats of Shiroda, Sanguem and Canacona look very vulnerable for the BJP. Shiroda has a 35% Catholic population which is ready to drop the BJP like a hot potato in the next assembly election. In Sanguem, where the BJP won by a mere 600 odd votes in the last elections, the MGP presence has the potential to take this seat away. In Canacona, the MGP has to tap someone like Vijai Pai Khot, who is looking for revenge at being denied the seat which went to Ramesh Tawadkar. In the North, the MGP may spring a surprise in seats like Siolim.
Therefore it is completely baffling, why the BJP has chosen to widen the chasm rather than control and close it. The moment political decisions are taken as an off shoot of bloated egos and not pragmatism and prudence, even a winning ground crumbles. The BJP should check this before it gets too late. It is transforming the MGP from a lamb to a lion.
The fear is that the Satish Dhond school of political management will not allow the BJP to take the practical path it so needs to take.
