TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: With just a day to go for the April 12 Lok Sabha poll, all eyes are focussed on minority-dominated Salcete as the taluka holds the key to the success or failure of the Congress and the BJP.
Home for nearly half the 5.44 lakh South Goa electorate – around 2.24 lakh to be precise – Salcete has been a Congress borough over the years. This time around, however, the party is facing a stiff challenge from the BJP in its bid to pocket the minority votes spread across the eight assembly segments. What is worrying for the Congress is the fact that the party is facing the prospect of multiple splits in almost every assembly segment dominated by the minorities, be it in Nuvem, Benaulim, Navelim, Cuncolim, Velim and Curtorim.
Unlike 2009, when the Congress was ruling the state and Salcete was the party’s power house with as many as seven MLAs representing the taluka, majority of the MLAs have this time thrown their weight behind the BJP. The Congress has to also grapple with the Churchill factor, especially in Benaulim, Navelim, Cuncolim and Curtorim, where Trinamool Congress candidate wields considerable influence.
Bereft of any organisation worth its name on the ground, the Congress, however, is looking up to its traditional voters to come out in large numbers and vote for party candidate, Reginaldo Lourenco. In fact, Congress campaign managers are hoping for a high voter turnout in the minority dominated areas to keep the party in good stead, assuming that the BJP is expected to do exceedingly well in the hinterland segments of South Goa, including Madkai, Ponda, Sanvordem, Sanguem.
The BJP camp, on the other hand, is bubbling with confidence that Salcete will not let the party down this time. The huge turnouts at the public meeting in minority areas have given a ray of hope to the party managers that the party will poll substantial votes in Catholic-dominated pockets. None other than Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is confident that the party will definitely improve its standing in Salcete in the April 12 poll. BJP managers are hoping that the huge turnouts at the public meeting, be it in Nuvem, Navelim, Curtorim and Benaulim will be finally translated into votes in favour of Narendra Sawaikar.
Party leaders admit in private that the party cannot hope to regain the South Goa seat – which it had won last in 1999 – without substantial support from Salcete’s minorities. That explains the anxiety amongst the BJP leaders vis-a-vis Salcete, though senior party leaders prefer to keep their fingers crossed on the expected swing in minority votes in favour of its party candidate.
What is worrying for the Congress is the fact that the party is facing the prospect of multiple splits in almost every assembly segment dominated by the minorities, be it in Nuvem, Benaulim, Navelim, Cuncolim, Velim and Curtorim
