NAVELIM: In a planned and concerted strategy, an attempt is being made to restrict Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Luizinho Faleiro to campaign only in his constituency and prevent him from canvassing for Congress candidates in other constituencies. The irony is that it is his own party members and recent ex-members who are adopting this strategy.
Edwin Cardoso, alias Cipru, who filed his nomination as an Independent candidate, very brazenly confesses to having the blessings of Goa Forward Party leader Vijai Sardesai.
Cipru admits that Sardesai had asked him to contest as an Independent over a month ago when it was evident that Congress would not have an alliance with Goa Froward. The two times ZP member had backed Churchill Alemao at the 2007 and 2012 elections but had not joined the Congress.
Joaquim Alemao who was clamouring for the Congress ticket in Cuncolim has also vowed to defeat Faleiro in Navelim. He is not only backing Cipru but compelled him to remain in the fray even though he was willing to withdraw.
“Joaquim Alemao has promised to address my meetings against Luizinho,” reveals Cipru pointing out that Joaquim has influence in Navelim not only because his brother Churchill represented it earlier but also because as a minister he had helped many people there.
Former Chief Minister and aspirant for the same post again, Digambar Kamat, is also making it tough for Faleiro in Navelim. Using his contacts with the people from Moti Dongor and Colmorod area, Kamat is pressurizing the community from Davorlim and Rumdamoll not to vote for Faleiro. Incidentally these two villages have a large population, most of who used to vote for Congress.
It appears that Sardesai and Kamat have come to a tacit understanding, as was seen in the battle over the candidate for Fatorda, to erect as many hurdles as possible for Faleiro in Navelim as he had opposed the Congress aligning with other parties for these elections.
Interestingly, while BJP has announced its support to Avertano Furtado, the BJP Mandal committee members who were looking forward to having their party candidate in the constituency have pledged their support to Cipru.
On interesting and significant twist to the Navelim campaign is the presence and progress of MGP’s Satyavijay Naik, though AAP’s Siddharth Karapurkar is also in the fray. Naik is expected to consolidate the majority votes which swing away from Furtado, who incidentally spurned BJP’s offer of making him the party nominee. Faleiro too will gain from the vote shift away from Furtado.
Meanwhile, Churchill has kept away from Navelim after his defeat in 2012. Faleiro is facing the brunt of that as Churchill did not even set up a proper Congress Block committee in the constituency and Faleiro has to literally start from scratch now.
However, notwithstanding all the problems and tribulations, Faleiro has been marching ahead and his campaign is gaining momentum with not only the traditional Congress voters getting galvanised but those disturbed with the BJP’s five years governance, pledging support to him.
