Team Herald
PANJIM: In the past decade, the BJP has been winning elections. It has even managed to get winning candidates, mainly Independents to support them. And finally, they “won” support through defections and this time mainly due to vote divisions.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
But has it ever managed to genuinely win the hearts of Salcete and other parts of South Goa and get votes because people genuinely want to vote for them and this means their candidates on their party tickets? Won’t the BJP like to win with more than 50% vote share rather than the highest number of votes?
To do that, it must look at a blueprint that is not election-centric but people-centric
As it forms a new government in Goa, it must introspect on the gaps it still needs to fill as a party and how it has been running its government in Goa. The BJP needs to first reach out to all sections and classes and communities of people in Goa to get them to believe that the BJP will be good to everyone in Goa.
It must take measures for the population of the non-Hindus to believe that it is a party that will give them self-reliance, security, harmony, and include them alongside others when it comes to government support of any kind.
In 2012, 2017, and 2022 their Mission Salcete, a term coined in 2012, has been less about winning maximum seats in Salcete and more about not letting the Congress dominate the region. It then worked with other non-Congress MLAs, making some of them even ministers (like Avertano Furtado).
After it was reduced to 13 seats in 2017, BJP went on a spree of acquisitions and mergers breaking the Congress to secure its stability.
In 2022, the BJP knew that the people of South Goa, especially the minorities would reject the defectors and used strategies that would finally lead to a fractured opposition. That is why it did not give tickets to a majority of those who joined them from the Congress. In the exception that it made in Quepem, its Deputy Chief Minister Babu Kavlekar lost to a newcomer from Congress, Altone D’Costa.
The BJP has had Catholic MLAs and ministers but has it managed to capture Catholic hearts
If the BJP isn’t sure of this, then it must make efforts to bridge the gap between its party and MLAs on one side and the people on the other. It must make communities, especially the minorities into confidence< kit also has a role to continuously give its national leadership inputs about Goa and not even any fear and uncertainty among other communities in Goa, did to any actions by its cadre outside Goa.
Confidence building can happen if the government is run by professionals
The government and its department have to be run by professionals. The political leadership simply does not (and should not be expected to) have the depth of understanding of all aspects of the state or its governance. This must be left to professionals, especially in the fields of finance, health, industry, land reforms, heritage, tourism, sports, etc. In every department, there must be experts who are drafted in and contracted to give their vision and ideas and execute them as well as understand ideas politicians give and choose the ones that are workable and give an impact. Professionals have to play an important role to guide the government and steer it in a manner good for the State without any political bias.
Create self-employment, build skills, don’t import containers of goods, teach locals to make them
People from all walks of life in Goa are looking for economic and social stability. Yes, the government cannot provide jobs and employment to all. But it must create a narrative where it can create self-employment.
Training and skill development are key and it must reach the remotest of villagers. Manufacturing skills in many areas, for instance, furniture making, and industrial design can be imparted through experts who can be brought from other countries to train locals. They in turn can become trainers and teachers and teach skills to others. Once this is done people all across Goa and not only in a few areas, will believe that the government cares about all
People would not like to see government departments filled with people from the constituency of the minister heading that department but make any kind of service accessible to all on the basis of merit.
Above all the BJP must have its entire leadership of ministers and senior partymen, fight to protect Goa
To understand this, here are two examples from war-torn Ukraine to show what leadership and love for the land are all about. A young mother with a 9-year-old daughter has said that even if she and her daughter are the last ones left in Kyiv they would not leave their land. A young computer engineer in Ukraine said the same thing. That he would not leave and be on his and no matter what.
The BJP in Goa needs to have its leadership speak this language. Who will be its leader, who will do so? Who will rise above demanding or wanting particular portfolios for their political and personal benefits and say Goa first portfolios later?
If this is the ideal Goa, no one will leave homes for opportunities abroad
Talent will then not only be encouraged but will be protected. Intelligent and smart Goans will prefer to live, study and work towards the betterment of their homeland.
Do you think that if this is the kind of governance full of opportunities is given, the BJP cannot be prevented from genuinely becoming a people’s party in areas of Goa it hasn’t managed to?
If this all-inclusive blueprint is really followed for all, the BJP will make natural organic growth where it will not need splits or defections or independents to help it will seats.
