TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Though the 2012 Assembly election verdict seemed to have given a clear mandate to the BJP government to steer the governance ship for next 5 years, the Manohar Parrikar led Titanic seemed to have hit turbulence immediately after suspension of mining operations in the state.
Ten months into its 5 year term, the Parrikar government is riddled with rumbling and internal conflicts attributed to release of the Shah Commission of Inquiry report, suspension of mining by Parrikar, the suspension of Environment Clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, subsequent Supreme Court’s interim suspension of mining operations and drying up of mining revenues both for the government and a few of its MLAs.
Despite BJP’s pre election shrill campaign on illegal mining, after the election results many of the newly elected BJP MLAs – some part of the previous mining status lobby with interests in mining transport and raising contracts – found themselves upstream without a paddle. This has forced the hand of many of them.
The rumblings within the party, willingly helped along by certain willing sections of the Congress which is writhing in pain without power and its perks, is a major cause of concern for the ruling coalition.
However, Congress insiders disclosed that the Centre is not too keen on blessing any such adventures, so soon and is keen on putting its house in order and readying itself for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. But this has not stopped the hushed parleys and meetings at local level despite the Damocles sword of past sins and present business interests hanging over some Congress MLAs. In fact reports of clandestine meetings and rumoured jumps across the fence, to the ruling side, is rife in political circles.
The year 2012 began with the Digambar Kamat led Congress coalition getting pilloried on many counts –illegal mining, grants based on medium of instruction, regional plan, etc. With traditional Congress backers, including the church coming out against the widespread malaise of all prevading corruption, the March elections saw the BJP storm to power with a lot of new faces – including many from the minority community. Its ally the MGP proved to be the ideal foil as alliance politics swung many marginal seats to the BJP side.
Many top Congress leaders bit the dust after a robust campaign by the opposition backed by regular media coverage that reached a crescendo on the family raj issue, leading to the decimation of the politically powerful Alemao clan at the hustings.
The Alemaos who sought to increase their clout in Congress’ South bastion, faced resounding defeats. Churchill Alemao and his daughter Valanka lost to relative newcomers, his brother Joaquim Alemao lost and nephew Yuri lost on the NCP ticket in Sanguem. In the North, though the Rane father and son duo retained their strongholds but all candidates pushed by them bit the dust virtually decimating Congress chances of retaining power.
Ponda heavyweight and then home minister Ravi Naik lost to the MGP. He had been under pressure for a long time with accusations being made by various sections about the alleged involvement of his son in the drug business.
Longtime MLAs such as Aleixio Sequeira and Dayanand Narvekar too lost. However, Parrikar lost his pillar after Matanhy Saldanha’s shock demise a short while after being inducted into the ministry. His wife, Alina was elected in the subsequent by-election but does not have the stature of the veteran activist-incidental politician.
Both national parties are now gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections that are officially slated for 2014, which the BJP is hoping will be in 2013. The Nationalist Congress Party, decimated in the assembly elections and the North Goa seat in 2009, is also throwing its hat in the ring. Whenever the general elections do happen, both sitting MPs from Goa would face a tough challenge, given that there is nothing much to write home about by way of performance.
