TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Will Salcete stand by the Congress as usual to give party candidate Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco a victory in the Lok Sabha poll? Or, will the Lotus bloom in this minority dominated taluka with the support of five Legislators supporting the Parrikar regime? Or, will Trinamool Congress candidate Churchill Alemao play spoil sport to Reginaldo’s plan to make it to the Lok Sabha.
These and other questions have come to the fore as Salcete recorded huge polling on Saturday for the South Goa Parliamentary seat. Sources say Salcete recorded a turnout of around 1.60 lakh voters, 50,000 more than the 2009 Lok Sabha poll, giving Congress campaign managers a ray of hope that the minority would keep the party in good stead over the rivals.
The Congress hopes to take unassailable lead in the segments of Curtorim, Velim, Benaulim and Nuvem, besides Cuncolim and Navelim as well. The only segments where the going may be tough for the Congress are the twin segments of Margao and Fatorda – where political observers say the BJP is expected to put a good showing.
While the Congress camp appeared down after news trickled in of huge voting in BJP strongholds of Madkai, Ponda, Shiroda, Sanvordem, Sanguem and Curchorem, smiles lit the faces of the Congress poll managers following the impressive voter turnout in its traditional stronghold Salcete.
Party leaders attributed the huge voter turnout to the Church circular and the awareness brought about by the Clergy through the daily prayer service in the run up to the poll. “The turnout will keep Reginaldo in good stead in Salcete. The only worry for the party now is the Churchill factor and whether the BJP will be able to make inroads into the minority vote bank”, remarked a Congress leader.
The BJP, on the other hand, says the good work done by the five Legislators ~ Avertano Furtado, Mickky Pacheco, Caitu Silva, Benjamin D’Silva and Rajan Naik ~ will certainly give Sawaikar a breakthrough in the minority heartland. Says Sawaikar: “I expect to poll quite a lot of votes in Salcete. In fact, whatever votes I poll in Salcete will be a bonus for the party. Salcete people will stand by us this time”.
The BJP camp was brimming with confidence of putting up a good show in Margao represented by Congress MLA and former Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat. The party is also hoping to lead over the Congress in Fatorda represented by MLA Vijai Sardesai. Sardesai, however, said the voter turnout may go either way in Fatorda, though exuding confidence of taking a slender lead over the BJP.
With the BJP and the Congress expected to put up a good show in their respective strongholds, the Churchill factor has suddenly come into play. Both the BJP and the Congress camp feel that Churchill’s vote may decide the fate of both Reginaldo Lourenco and Narendra Sawaikar as the Trinamool Congress candidate had made determined efforts to make inroads in Benaulim, Navelim, Curtorim, Velim and Cuncolim in Salcete.
