TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: As political parties and candidates position themselves for a final assault in the run up to the April 12 Lok Sabha polls for the South Goa constituency, the Congress may find a host of “hostile” leaders and an “uncomfortable” environment to contend within its support base at Salcete this time around.
Perhaps for the first time in a Lok Sabha election, many a local player and heavyweight from Salcete are arrayed against the Congress. Be it in Nuvem, Benaulim, Navelim, Cuncolim or Curtorim, the Congress seems to have come under stiff opposition from the established leaders, including MLAs and heavyweights who bit the dust in the 2012 Assembly poll. For the moment, the Pacheco, Caitu, Sardinha and Churchill appear to have positioned themselves to fire their guns against the Congress in this election. Hopes that the Goa Vikas Party supremo Mickky Pacheco would come to the rescue of the beleaguered Congress was dashed after the GVP decided to openly bat for the BJP.
Take the case of Nuvem constituency: Mickky’s decision to support BJP’s Narendra Sawaikar implies that the GVP will cross sword against the Congress this time round. Take note, the Congress has managed to enlist support of GVP’s Nuvem Zilla member Wilfred D’Sa, but former Power Minister and Congress heavyweight Aleixo Sequeira is yet to openly come out in support of the Congress nominee.
The Congress faces a worrisome situation in coastal Salcete in Benaulim. While Caitu’s supporters have kicked off their campaign in support of the BJP, Trinamool Congress candidate Churchill Alemao has laid his hand on a sizeable chunk of Congress workers, leaving hardly any workers at the disposal of the Congress. In fact, sources said the Congress is facing an uphill task to mobilise its workers in a constituency, where most of the workers are divided amongst the Caitu and Churchill camps. Youth Congress President Valanka Alemao’s decision to opt out of Goa may further make matters worse for the Congress in terms of manpower.
In Navelim and Cuncolim, though the Congress has an organisation on paper, the Congress will have to again contend with the Alemao influence. Churchill is expected to go all out in Navelim against the BJP and the Congress. Independent MLA Avertano Furtado has already pledged his support to the BJP, though the Congress is hoping that AICC general secretary Luizinho Faleiro would exert his influence with Avertano and Navelkars to rally behind the Congress.
As for as Cuncolim is concerned, Joaquim Alemao swears by the Congress, but is hurt that he has been neglected by the party leadership for not taking him into confidence vis-à-vis the poll campaign.
In Reginaldo Lourenco’s home turf of Curtorim, arch rival Francisco Sardinha has given a call to his supporters to teach the Congress a befitting lesson. The Cong, sources said, will have to contend with the Sardinha factor.
Sources in the know said the Congress is aware of the ground realities in its traditional bastion Salcete. The party is working out various options in constituencies where anti-Congress forces wield considerable influence.
A senior Congress leader, however, said the party had faced somewhat similar situation in the 2004 Lok Sabha poll when the BJP was ruling the state. Mickky Pacheco and Filipe Neri Rodrigues had then worked overtime in support of the BJP, but the Congress won with a huge margin. Notwithstanding what the leaders say, the people of Salcete will vote for the secular forces this time too,” remarked the Congress leader.
