PANJIM: Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has the misfortune of being the chief minister who led the Congress at the elections where the party had its most dismal performance till date. And as the next elections are round the corner, he who is confident of his personal victory at the hustings, has now started planning and plotting to get himself installed as Chief Minister once again.
It may be recalled that Kamat’s elevation to the Chief Ministership itself was a big surprise. The emissaries from Congress in Delhi, during their consultations with Congress MLAs asked them for a choice between Pratapsingh Rane and Ravi Naik. However, in a very late night development, Kamat was chosen as the alternative very much the same way that Rane became chief minister of Goa as an alternative to the then two towering leaders Babu Naik and Wilfred de Souza.
For 2017, Kamat has gone on an overdrive to try and ensure that his choice of party candidates prevails. There are reports that he has managed where the game of deciding the candidates has now shifted.
As a hung Assembly for Goa is predicted, he is now approaching people outside his party for their support. He has had very closed door meetings with the three Independent MLAs from Salcete who are currently supporting the BJP government.
Digambarbab has been paying special attention to Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado who is also being wooed by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Luizinho Faleiro to be the Congress candidate in Navelim, in case he himself does not contest.
If Furtado pulls off the seat, it would be crucial to Digambarbab to secure his position as Chief Minister. Besides he is seen as the leader of the other two namely Caetano Silva and Benjamin Silva.
Meanwhile Kamat is looking to back one more candidate from Vasco who is likely to contest as an Independent against Jose Philip D’Souza of the NCP and the BJP’s Carlos Almeida and MGP’s Manish Arolkar with an aim to secure one more “independent support” if he pulls of the seat.
Very recently Kamat has given a call for all forces opposed to the BJP to unite and join forces. This is seen as yet another move of his to ensure support of alliance partners to his leadership as he is the first of the Congress leaders to support an alliance so very openly.
He has a very hearty relationship with neighbouring MLA Vijai Sardesai who is leading the Goa Forward. Similarly he is also on very good terms with Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate whose United Goans has just been recognised by the Election Commission of India. Both Sardesai and Monserrate are pulling out all plugs to coerce the Congress leadership to have an alliance with them. Kamat’s call for an alliance is seen as building bridges with them so that they will support his candidature for the chief minister’s post. The Congress will be forced to elect him as the Congress Legislative Party if Monserrate and Sardesai extend support only to Kamat to be the chief minister.
Thus even as the Goan electorate is finding it difficult to decide whom to vote for at the next elections, it appears that uncertainty will linger for quite some time even after the results are declared. Even if the Congress emerges a strong contender to form the next government, the thrusts and pulls of its various leaders could well spell doom for it.
