The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) election war room is buzzing with people of all hues and colours. And they have “partied” hard. Many have been card carrying saffron loyalists of the BJP and MGP and yes even the Shiv Sena, not to speak of the Congress, with one of them a prominent MLA from Mormugao. One of their two MGP returned candidates, has been on the forefront of the pro-Mopa agitation, arguing and agitating for the Mopa airport, which many of the new converts to AAP in South Goa, have fought vehemently against.
Thus, no party or ideology is untouchable to the AAP when it comes to fielding candidates. The party, which came with the hope of fresh politics, has taken the same tried and tested route looking for past politicians who are at a lose end and can be used. And they have been picked from all over, putting together politicians who have been the very face of parties and ideology that the AAP is officially standing against.
This begs the question: Where the original home grown candidates? Searches haven’t quite yielded too many as AAP’s candidate list proves evident. AAP, a party which claims that it will make major inroads in Salcete and upset the Congress apple cart has even gone to the extent of picking an MGP veteran who is the face of the pro-Mopa movement in Mandrem, Devendra Prabhudesai. His profile reads, “He was a former president of Pernem taluka from 2011-16 of MGP which he quit and joined AAP over two months ago.” The 53-year-old teacher is president of ‘Pernem Swabhimani’ since 2010.
AAP’s candidate from Tivim, Pradip Amonkar, a long time MGP man is a pro-Marathi protagonist. He unsuccessfully contested the elections from Pale constituency twice, after which he was never seen in a political role. When AAP entered the fray Ghadi Amonkar went to it. Incidentally he is very close to the BBSM and the Goa Suraksha Manch, which was created to oppose grants to English medium schools.
AAP has also poached from the BJP. Sitaram Gauns contesting from Poriem constituency was former president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha 2001-03. He was also the mandal president of BJP from 2003-2006 and State Executive member in 2006-09. He quit BJP and joined AAP. His profile, furnished by the party, does not mention how long he has been with the party.
AAP’s Panjim candidate Valmiki Naik, who will try to break the monopoly of BJP in the constituency, too has BJP links. His father is known to be close to Manohar Parrikar. Valmiki had exposed himself when he addressed an unwarranted press conference to claim that Parrikar’s visit to his home should not be read from any political angle. The AAP leader had to literally rush out of the press conference when he had to face the barrage of questions.
AAP’s list of declared candidates is thus filled with candidates who had been with other parties and includes a former Shiv Sena leader in Ajitsingh Rane who is the candidate from Mayem constituency. Rane, a labour union leader, has never been a stable politician. The same list had Molu Velip from Shiroda, a former right hand man of BJP minister Mahadev Naik.
No party is a pariah for the AAP, drawing freely from even the Congress, who the AAP is attacking sharply. Karl Vaz who is the AAP candidate from Mormugao is a former Congress MLA His father John Manuel Vaz too was a Congress leader. Karl Vaz was looking to get back into mainstream politics form hibernation, with upheavals in his political and personal life. He found that AAP was looking for a candidate frantically and he joined and was promised a ticket pronto.
Cut to North Goa. Sankhalim candidate Milind Gauns, a 41-year-old BCom graduate is a former Youth Congress president of Pale constituency. He has also been the ex-vice president of Goa State Youth Congress and ex-Vice President of North Goa District of Congress. He too was hardly in the forefront of any anti corruption or social agitation, not even when the area he lives in was simmering over the mining industry troubles.
AAP’s Fatorda candidate Ranjit Cotta-Carvalho does not have any direct political affiliation but his profile released by the party mentions “he joined AAP seven months ago. His mother Inez Cotta Carvalho was president of South Goa Congress in the past”.
Olencio Simoes, contesting from Cortalim constituency, was better known as the nephew of the late Matanhy Saldanha who was a minister in the Manohar Parrikar led cabinet. He too was seen with Alina Saldanha but suddenly changed political tracks to have a possible face-off with his aunt in Cortalim. It is not certain yet whether Saldanha would be given the BJP Cortalim ticket, but if it happens, it would be a battle within the family.
The exceptions in the AAP list are Surel Tilve, Dr Prithvi Amonkar, Cruz Silva, Cecille Rodrigues, Ravindra Velip, Rajesh Volvoikar, Royla Fernandes, James Fernandes, Sandesh Talekar and Ursulla D’Souza who do not carry any political baggage with them.
What is significant is that many of the originals from the India Against Corruption (IAC) Movement, which was the genesis of AAP are not the ones who will be the political electoral faces of AAP. People like Oscar Rebello, Satish Sonak and even Remo Fernandes. Many have actually fallen out. The South Goa candidate of AAP, in the 2014 MP elections, Swati Kerkar later went on record to state that AAP leaders in Goa were working for the BJP candidate.
But that aside, AAP’s only known political leader with some experience in Goa was its national leader Dinesh Waghela, who too fought the elections on a party ticket from Gujarat. The saintly personality of Waghela was the backbone of the party at that time which had new-found leaders like Valmiki Naik and Rajashree Nagarsekar. Waghela, now appears to be footnote, with the Delhi brigade having completely taken over.
Parties go through transitions, but not such a new party as AAP. Having reached out to those who have been in ideologically-opposed parties out of desperation, including those who have worked against causes many Goans hold dear – like the anti-Mopa agitation, and the one to fight for grants for English schools – AAP has truly lost its moral right to call itself different.
