How do you look at this result since your panel didn’t win at all?
It’s definitely a major setback, but I cannot rue about it. I also witnessed a similar result in the last municipal polls and didn’t win in a single ward. Similarly, in the 2006 polls we didn’t make much ground. But I was an MLA then. My loss in 2012 polls had no bearing on the BJP vote share in 2014. Similarly, the BJP’s performance at the Center in 2009 had no bearing in 2012 assembly polls. So, each election is different. We will now have to introspect and study the vote pattern.
These polls are termed as the semi-finals before the Assembly polls of 2017. Do you feel eliminated in the semis?
While the average voter turnout in municipal elections was 73 percent, the same was very low in Margao and Cuncolim. You should look at those stats. A large chunk of BJP voters abstained from voting for various reasons, which is reflected in the voting pattern of Assembly and parliamentary elections.
Does this mean that BJP didn’t select the right candidates; hence, the BJP supporters abstained from voting?
Reasons can be many and cannot be assumed. The BJP as a party will have to introspect as to why our supporters abstained from voting. I will go back to the drawing board, study the voting pattern and get back to the public.
As convenor of the BJP-backed Margao Development Front, will you take responsibility for decimation in the municipal polls?
Nobody wanted to head Margao Development Front. I volunteered to steer the ship. Therefore, I cannot be made a scapegoat. We had a lot of negative voting — BJP supporters voted for other candidates. The biggest problem was the rebels, who contested against the party candidates thereby splitting votes.
Vijai’s Fatorda Forward clinched all the 11 wards. What does that mean to you as an ex-MLA hoping to make a comeback in 2017?
It means nothing to me. Fatorda discusses only my nature, my availability and accessibility.
