VRISHANK MAHATME
vrishank@herald-goa.com
With the alliance of MGP with the saffron party still in abeyance, it appears that the BJP is struggling to find a good candidate to contest against two-time sitting MLA Pandurang (Deepak) Dhavalikar.
When Herald spoke to local residents of Priol, it was clear that there is complete division among voters and a large chunk of the people only support the ST independent candidate, Govind Gaude. Most of the locals hinted that the coming assembly elections would be serious battle for both the leaders and that the BJP does have a single chance to conquer.
“Priol comprises of 50 per cent ST population and it is clear that in the forthcoming elections, they will be supporting the independent candidate, as in the last two terms only a few of the promises made by MGP have been fulfilled. The last time both the candidates had a close contest but Deepak won the seat only by a thin margin of 2,100 votes,” said Madhavi Gaonkar, a local resident of Priol.
It was also revealed that employment which was promised has not been fulfilled. People claimed that employment was given only by choice. They have also expressed dissatisfaction that Priol has been backward in all terms, when other villages have progressed little by little.
Another local villager Sanjay Naik had to this to say, “It’s a 50-50 chance between MGP and the independent candidate. In the last election people gave a chance to Dhavalikar, dreaming about a change but nothing has happened. In the forthcoming elections independent candidate Govind Gaude is a winnable candidate and the ST population has faith in him, as he understands the local issues”
The year 2007 was the last when the BJP had contested in Priol but is now represented by the MGP for the last two terms as in the 2012 elections BJP had given the seat to its alliance partner MGP.
“The current sitting MLA has done most of the development work in the constituency be it the building of a hall and the market, but some people are not happy and that is a reason there will be a spilt in the coming elections,” said AJ Naik, ex-secretary, Priol village panchayat.
