NESHWIN ALMEIDA
neshwinalmeida@herald-goa.com
VARCA: We landed up at the home of Varca strongman Churchill Alemao around 2 pm. He was wrapping up his meetings before heading for lunch. His wife Fatima, who recovered from her recent illness, is setting up the dining table with a spread of lip-smacking Goan food. Churchill is in his office chatting up with son Savio.
Savio is tired following the day’s campaigning. He was updating his father. Churchill has come a long way from fighting polls since 1989. This is his 6th MLA election and not to forget his four MP elections. But the political games of 2017 are not like the ones of the ’90’s and Churchill at 67, is forced to catch up with the newer ways of fighting polls.
As he chats up with us, he’s scrolling his Iphone and sending messages of his evening’s corner meeting while he’s also checking his Whatsapp messages. In Varca, the mobile network is bad, so Churchill has to shift between his two Iphone’s to his landline to reciprocate to calls or call his supporters.
“Dad has always depended on his works over five years, the number of people he helps and his public meetings. The door to door concept is what Valanka and I take care of and if required, dada steps in but not always,” explains Savio.
Just besides Churchill is Jaju Fernandes, a GFA official and a former Mickky supporter. He’s the connect between Churchill and his politics and also his passion for football. Suddenly, Churchill gets a call of an accident and he intervenes for a youth to be taken to Apollo hospital while Jaju explains to him that the youth is a goalkeeper for Salgaocar sports club and the third son of a Benaulim resident.
Churchill has his main supporters around him updating him about EC permissions taken for his meetings, the movements of his rivals John, Caitu, Royla, Mickky, Maria and Edwin.
All this while, he messages and summons old hands, former sarpanchas, panchas from Seraulim, Benaulim, Colva, Varca, Carmona, Orlim, Cavelossim and Mobor. Churchill does all this on his Iphone and keeps making calls, when we talk to him about his social media campaign. He just looks blankly at us and looks towards his son. “ Social media is just flooded with AAP’s campaign. I have a team that uploads all of Churchill’s meetings on Facebook but it’s not something that he takes interest in. His focus is on the ground and what people are saying and connecting with people,” explains Savio Alemao.
While suddenly we have a new face step into the room and silently sit at the table. Savio introduces him as the bodyguard for Churchill to avoid any untoward incident during polls.
“Let me win first. I am not taking anything lightly. People want me to do their jobs and carry out development. People contact me for anything and everything in Benaulim and I deliver,” explains Churchill, who’s struggling to catch up with time but he feels the old ways will still win him polls.
