Gawde likely to put a dent in BJP votes

MARGAO: The Congress may not have much presence to upset the BJP’s applecart in Madkai, Sanvordem and Sanguem segments of South Goa constituency. But the presence of the tribal leader Govind Gawde in the fray should hopefully ring in good news for the Congress.The tribal leader has already made his presence felt in these three segments – the home for a large number of tribal population. And, his candidature has only received a booster dose with UTAA leader Prakash Velip throwing his weight behind him, though in his individual capacity. A host of tribal leaders from South Goa – some of them prominent faces in the UTAA agitation demanding Constitutional rights for the tribals – have so far rallied behind Gawde’s candidature. The BJP camp must be certainly assessing Gawde’s presence in the tribal areas since any inroads by the Independent candidate in their bastion may have a bearing on the final outcome of the electoral battle.