Team Herald
BENAULIM/NAVELIM/
VELIM: Of the three MLAs who were called Manohar Parrikar’s “altar boys” the two Silvas feel orphaned while the third doesn’t want too much of the BJP sun to shine on him. Navelim MLA and Minister Avertano Furtado claims Parrikar’s support but his supporters admit that the BJP tag has hurt him in this campaign. Meanwhile, the two Silvas – Benjamin and Caetano alias Caitu – feel he has deserted them.
Velim’s Silva, Benjamin points out to Vinay Tari the BJP candidate in his constituency to drive home the point that he does not enjoy the BJP’s support. On the contrary he alleges that the Congress nominee Felipe Neri Rodrigues has better contacts with Parrikar and the BJP.
“The very fact that Felipe withdrew the case with regards to the church incident following Manohar’s request, proves that they have some understanding,” he said.
However, Benjamin admits that Parrikar did help him in developing the constituency and confesses that Laxmikant Parsekar did not sanction any major projects, but credits him for not stopping any of the works that were sanctioned by Parrikar.
Benaulim’s Silva, Caitu, feels particularly distressed with rumblings from the “Maria Hall junction” – the centre for all political discussion in Benaulim, that the Defence Minister had recently dropped in at the home of his political rival, Maria Rebello, the GVP candidate, strengthening the belief that GVP is BJP’s B team in Salcete.
However, he admits that he was close to Parrikar and adds that the situation changed once he left for Delhi. “Parsekar distanced himself from me,” he confesses but says that Parsekar did sanction the asphalting of internal roads in the constituency.
He credits Parrikar for most of the development witnessed in the constituency like widening of the Mungul to Colva road, underground cabling of the 11 KV power lines in the entire constituency.
On the other hand Furtado, who is again contesting as an independent candidate is personally indebted to Parrikar who not only made him a minister in his cabinet but also undertook a lot of works in the constituency.
Even though Satyavijay Naik the BJP rebel contesting as a MGP candidate is in the fray, Furtado assures that the BJP is fully with him and in fact during his door-to-door campaign at Aquem Baixo, some BJP members, including the Mandal President, accompanied him.
Although Furtado was all praise for Parrikar and the BJP, some of his supporters were visibly uncomfortable with it and admitted that the association with BJP is proving to be negative to his campaign. “Congress candidate Luizinho Faleiro who was weak has gained strength because of the BJP factor,” opined one of his supporters in Ratwado.
These three rode the Parrikar wave in 2012. In 2017, they appear to be gone with the reverse wind.
