Friendly neighbourhood MLA needs to do it all over again
SURAJ NANDREKAR
It’s 7.00 in the morning at Parra, and people have already begun knocking on the doors of the MLA’s house. After a few exercises, a shower and snacks Michael Lobo comes out to begin his long day ahead.
Initially, he starts attending to a few people who have come with problems and grievances and want their MLA to sort these out, before he sets off on his campaign.
8.30 am and the driver is ready to take him to Orda in Candolim, where he plans a door-to-door campaign. As he reaches Orda around 50 people are already waiting for him. As Lobo begins his campaign more people join him and within a few minutes he has a large number of people accompanying him.
“We started campaigning much ahead of the others. I have been doing the works of the people for five years,” Lobo says candidly. He says no matter how big a politician is, he has to go to the people once every five years otherwise they do not vote for them again.
As he moves around he gets a good response with people telling him they are with him but also pointing out problems in the locality.
“This was Agnelo Fernandes’ vote bank initially and I was not allowed to carry out any development work but slowly the people now understand what is good for them,” he says. As he moves into the small lanes and a few houses atop the hill he finds a few old people.
At one place he finds a girl suffering from cancer and extends all possible help to the family, which meets with applause from his supporters.
In between tea and snacks is served to the supporters and at 1.30 pm, food is served under the shade of a banyan tree. After a short rest, the campaigning begins again at 3 pm and ends at 7.30 pm. This has become our daily routine, says a supporter.
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Will make Calangute a model constituency: Joseph
Meanwhile, 9 am at Parra close to his house, Lobo’s bete-noire Joseph Sequeira, who is the Congress candidate in Calangute constituency, begins his door-to-door campaigning. Sequeira is running against time to beat Lobo. His supporters feel Congress delayed in announcing the ticket. Nonetheless, Sequeira too gets a good response from the people.
Like Lobo, Sequeira too is going house-to-house and requesting people for their vote. While doing so he tells them he will make Calangute constituency a model constituency.
Like the other camp, tea and snacks are served wherever the team reaches at 11 am. Thereafter there is lunch and the campaign starts again.
“Even though the ticket was announced late, I had completed entire Calangute panchayat area and now I have to just cover Parra, Arpora, Nagoa and Candolim,” Sequeira says. He says, he has met with a good response as people are fed up of BJP. “We will give a corruption free government,” Sequeira says as his 100-odd supporters cheer him.
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I see an undercurrent. People want freedom from corrupt parties: Godwin
The newest of political parties to contest the polls in Calangute, the Aam Admi Party (AAP), has also begun campaigning on a promising note. The candidate Godwin Fernandes, a qualified engineer, has a chunk of support. He is accompanied by friends and AAP volunteers.
“Even though there are not many people following me here, there is an undercurrent for AAP and people are supporting us individually,” Fernandes tells Herald.
He says people are scared to come out in the open due to the influence of his powerful opponents.
As Fernandes moves from house to house, people say there is need for a change and they want freedom from corrupt parties. “This is a trend everywhere in Goa,” Fernandes says.
He states AAP volunteers spend their own money to move around. “People themselves are offering us snacks and drinks as we do not have big money,” he says.
