Team Herald
MARGAO: Most voters in South Goa who will exercise their franchise on Tuesday to elect their new MP appear to hold cards close to their chest and are not willing to disclose the candidate of their choice. While three leading candidates claim confident of winning, their body language and mumblings give the impression that it is nothing but bravado.
The Bharatiya Janata Party appears is severely afflicted with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party dissociating itself and this is bound to affect its performance not only in Ponda taluka but also in Sanguem, Quepem, Dharbandora and Canacona talukas.
In 2014 Narendra Sawaikar secured nearly 37,000 votes in the three assembly constituencies of Ponda giving him a lead of nearly 18,000 in that taluka. But now with the MGP canvassing for the Congress, this lead is going to be reduced and fears are that the BJP may be relegated to the second position.
In Mormugao taluka, the BJP had got a lead of 10,000 votes in the 2014 elections and the question is whether they will be able to get a lead at all this time around as though it has two ministers from that taluka, the party is not very popular with the people.
In Salcete, the Congress got a lead of 29,000 votes in 2014 and this lead is expected to increase substantially as some of those, who were backing the BJP last time like Benjamin D’Silva and Caitu D’Silva, are not politically active and Avertano Furtado just makes token appearances.
Besides, the alleged sins of commission and omission by the BJP government against the minorities, has shaken up Salcete. The cancellation of the Good Friday holiday in Daman & Diu, which had to be restored by the High Court intervention, is one such step that makes people wonder what will happen in Goa if BJP returns to power.
Congress that is facing an onslaught against its candidate primarily for being an old horse who did nothing much when he was the MP is also accused of initiating the process to construct the Mopa airport.
Arrogance is the biggest drawback faced by Sardinha. In fact his comment that he cannot go and sell coconuts to protest high cost of coconuts angered Congress ticket aspirant Pratima Coutinho and many young voters are still asking what he meant by “altu faltu.”
Besides, for the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party is proving to be a real irritant as it is feared that the split of votes with AAP may well result in giving the BJP a victory and that is what the BJP is banking upon.
