MARGAO: With many political outfits in the fray this time, there is fear that the split in secular votes will ultimately benefit BJP.
Goa Vikas Party (GVP) that has thrown its hat in the ring even though Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco, its supremo for the last five years, has abandoned the party to join another is one of these. While in 2012 it had contested nine seats and won two, this time it has candidates in five constituencies.
According to GVP President Lyndon Monteiro the party has taken a conscious decision to concentrate on few seats so that all can be given the same amount of dedication.
Surprisingly, GVP has not fielded a candidate in Nuvem where it had won last time. According to Monteiro, this is because GVP lost its organisation in Nuvem when Pacheco left the party. Dismissing the suggestion that GVP has a tacit understanding with Pacheco and has not fielded a candidate there, he conceded that GVP is neither supporting nor opposing any candidate in Nuvem.
It does, however, appear that GVP is contesting in five constituencies to indirectly support BJP, having fielded candidates in Pernem, Cortalim, Cuncolim, Benaulim and Navelim where either the BJP candidate or the candidate supported by it is weak.
In Pernem, the GVP candidate is expected to take away anti-BJP votes which would have otherwise gone to the Congress candidate, thus helping BJP’s Rajendra Arlekar retain his edge.
In Cortalim, BJP Minister Alina Saldanha is facing a stiff challenge from her nephew Olencio Simoes the AAP candidate. GVP’s Nelly Rodrigues is expected to poll the anti-Saldanha votes that would have otherwise gone to Simoes. Incidentally, Rodrigues had come close to winning the 2012 polls.
In Cuncolim, BJP has fielded Subhash (Rajan) Naik who won in 2012 only because John Monteiro polled 4830 votes which would have otherwise gone to the Congress candidate who lost by 1313 votes. John Monteiro has been fielded by GVP this time.
In Benaulim, GVP 2012 winner Caetano (Caitu) Silva is contesting as an independent and GVP has fielded Maria Rebello, who was staunchly behind Valanka Alemao last time. This time she is expected to take away votes that would have otherwise gone to Churchill Alemao and help Silva, who is indirectly backed by the BJP given that he has a good relationship with Manohar Parrikar.
In Navelim, GVP candidate Cruz Barreto is again expected to eat into the anti-Avertano Furtado votes that would have otherwise gone to Congress and thus help BJP which is supporting Furtado.
However, Monteiro dismisses this speculation as the handiwork of frustrated minds and argues that in Pernem, Cortalim and Cuncolim GVP is fighting against heavyweight BJP candidates.
In case of a hung assembly and if GVP has any MLA, the party will support a government if it agrees to four main demands, Monteiro said, namely: grants to English medium schools and any regional language by way of a law; Dabolim airport shall not be shut down; crushing the drug menace and assuring that employment will be given only to meritorious candidates.
