It could have been 7-0. But it ended up at 6-1. This isn’t quite FC Goa’s imaginary score sheet in the just included ISL play off but the electoral score of the six municipal council and one municipal corporation (Panjim) elections). Even as BJP swept scoring in all, Cuncolim, a Congress stronghold held out, nothing up the lone victory for the Congress backed panel or to be more precise, the victory of the ruling Congress family in Cuncolim, the ‘other’ Alemaos, Joaquim and his politically rising son, Yuri.
But can the Congress credit the win to the party organisation? Or was it the infighting within the BJP (Its BJP MLA Clafacio Dias is a party hopper) helped Congress? Or did money power play a vital role?
These are the questions Cuncolkars are asking. The fact is that nine out of fourteen Candidates of Yuri Congress got elected while only four candidates supported by BJP MLA Clafacio Dias emerged victorious.
The BJP had backed ten candidates in ten wards while in one ward, they had extended support to a candidate at the last moment. Shockingly, for the ruling party with a BJP MLA in the area, in three wards – Ward 7 Comba, ward 12 Dandora and in Ward 13 Voddi the BJP did not get any candidate to contest.
The blame games have begun. BJP local Karyakartas are holding party leaders accountable for fielding weak candidates in two wards.
Genuine BJP vs Turncoat BJP in Cuncolim
Infighting between BJP leaders and BJP karyakartas are at its peak. There are murmurs heard among local karyakartas that there was no connection between local founder BJP members and Congress turned BJP MLA Clafacio Dias. If we have to believe local Karyakartas they blame mandal chief Maruti Dessai and the BJP MLA for wrong selection of candidates. One karyakarta quipped “Does the MLA even know who the local grass-root BJP workers are”?
In Ward number 3 Veroda, ward number 5 Gouleacotto and ward 6 Sanvorcoto went out from BJP’s hand only because of infighting between BJP leaders and karyakartas. In these wards two to three BJP karyakartas contested against each other and the BJP leadership did nothing to convince these karyakartas.
Even the presence of the “second lady” didn’t help BJP
Savitri Kavlekar, the wife of Deputy Chief Minister Babu Kavlekar, MLA of neighbouring Quepem, who led the party of turncoats during the mass defection of 10 Congress MLAs to the BJP; campaigned for BJP backed candidates in the Cuncolim polls. But it’s clear that even her presence didn’t quite work.
Others divide, Yuri rules
It is not that Cuncolkars extended full support to the Yuri Alemao panel but this panel clearly managed to win wards, though it got just 3757 votes out of 11093 votes. And that’s all that matters.
In many wards the division of votes benefited Yuri Alemao panel candidates. In ward one which was reserved for OBC Women, Yuri Alemao panel candidate, Gauri Shankar Dessai won by 47 votes. Some local issues and power games spoiled the game for BJP Mandal vice president Jorgina Gama.
Footballer scores just about enough to get over the line
In Ward number two division of votes benefited Footballer Raimundo D’Souza who got elected by getting just 187 votes out of 761 votes and won by a wafer thin margin of 18 votes.
250 is all that this senior pro needed
Senior Most Councilor Laxman Naik won ward five just by 26 votes out of 726 votes Laxman Naik polled just 250 votes.
Ward nine was just about fine for young Yuri man, Udesh
It was a miraculous win for young Udesh Dessai who polled just 202 votes out of 992 votes and emerged as victorious. One must give credit to Yuri for this win and also backhand credit to BJP workers for division of votes.
Poixe Power?
Some locals allege and affirm that money power also played a major role in CMC Elections. According to them very expensive gifts and heavy envelopes have been distributed among voters. But no complaint has been filed and there are no investigations on.
Big Daddy is pleased
The old warhorse and Yuri’s father Joaquim Alemao has reason to be pleased, called vikaspurush (man of development) by Cuncolkars. He is known to have helped many families by giving government jobs.
One supporter gave his take on the results “We can’t say whether this is Yuri’s victory or Congress Victory. It’s only Joaquim’s victory. With or without Congress Joaquim would have got the same results”. Some political fan this is.
However, whatever said and done, after these results, Yuri’s chances for the Congress ticket in the next election is all but confirmed.
