Cumbarjua is one of the most beautiful constituencies with three islands which are still not connected with bridges. But this issue is unlikely to be on the agenda for the coming assembly polls as per the survey of the areas.
But what remains to be seen if the gruesome death of the much loved activist priest Father Bismarque, stirs the voters of Cumbarjua. Activists and some locals of St Estevam have blamed the ruling political establishment of not pressing forward on their belief that the priest was done to death, though the investigating agencies have “concluded” that he died due to drowning.
The constituency has seven panchayats with a voting population over 20,000. As per locals 50% of its voters are migrants and not the original residents of the constituency, so the issue-based election fighting will not happen barring certain pockets.
“The migrant population either wants the good facilities or they use bribes to get their work done,” said one of the ex panchas of Corlim Village Panchayat.
However, Maharashtrwadi Gomantak Party (MGP), who is now again eyeing this constituency, has given a twist to the entire political situation in Cumbharjua and more because of sitting Congress MLA Pandurang Madkaikar who has almost decided to get back to Goa’s oldest regional party. He first contested and got elected on the MGP ticket from Cumbharjua constituency.
When asked, he (Madkaikar) replied, “I have kept my options open as I am not happy with Congress”.
Three-time MLA and four-time minister will also face a strong opposition in the constituency this time from BJP, (Either if the MGP-BJP tie-up fails, or Madkaikar contests on a Congress ticket) but there are lot many aspirants eyeing the BJP seat, including Siddhesh Naik son of Union Minister Sripad Naik.
Meanwhile veteran Nirmala Sawant, Madkaikar’s old bête noire, will be in the fray this time and this will also have an interesting twist with Madkaikar’s impending departure from the Congress. If Madkaikar leaves, the Congress needs to find a good candidate as well as take a decision on whether it should get a fresh new face or even go back to Nirmala Sawant.
AAP is also making a move in the constituency and the party members have been meeting the people, especially from the minorities, as they have been doing in other places. One of the panchas from the Corlim village panchayat has confirmed that an AAP leader met him for support but he has not yet decided, he informed.
For the next few weeks, all eyes will be on political deals and arrangements at various levels which will dominate the political scene and not issues of local significance.
