MARGAO: Is the writing on the wall clear for the Goa Vikas Party and its supremo Mickky Pacheco with the Zilla Panchayat election results showing that the opposition gained an upper hand over the regional party and its MLA in Nuvem assembly constituency? If Mickky’s campaign to get votes for the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls had come a cropper around 10 months ago, party-backed candidates contesting the ZP polls seemed to have not cut much ice with the voters of Nuvem constituency, comprising villages of Nuvem, Verna, Nagoa, Majorda, Betalbaim and Loutolim. Theses six villages are all spread across the three ZP constituencies of Nuvem, Colva and Loutolim, where the GVP had fielded candidates in the just concluded election.
A glance at the ZP results showed that Mickky’s GVP candidate suffered a huge blow in the three villages of Nuvem, Verna and Nagoa in Nuvem ZP constituency. Of the 20 polling stations, the GVP could take a lead only in three booths, while his challenger Wilfred D’Sa made his presence felt almost everywhere. In Nuvem village, Wilfred polled a whopping 3,347 votes as against just 1,506 votes polled by Mickky’s candidate.
A look at the poll statistics of the two villages of Majorda and Betalbatim – both part of Colva ZP constituency – reveal that the opposition put up a better show than the GVP candidate, though Nelly finally emerged victorious. In fact, even in Mickky’s home village Betalbatim, local boy Marcus led over the GVP candidate Nelly in three of the four booths.
Similar was the trend in Loutolim village, which is part of Raia ZP constituency. Though Fatima Gauncar won the election, she was literally left stranded in Loutolim village. Of the four polling stations, the GVP led only in three booths, with the opposition flag flying high in the remaining four booths. GVP opponents say that Mickky’s candidate bit the dust in the Loutolim panchayat by-poll last month.
Incidentally, while Mickky’s political opponents were quick to interpret the result as a vote against Mickky and his GVP in Nuvem assembly constituency, the GVP supremo remains unfazed. “I do not accept that the ZP result is a reflection on the popularity of the GVP. Various local factors came into play in the ZP election. Assembly and ZP elections are quite different. I am not ready to believe that the voting trend is against me or against my party”, Mickky defended.
Apart from local factors, Mickky pointed accusing fingers at some of the religious leaders for working overtime to vote against the GVP candidates in Nuvem, Colva and Raia constituencies.
But sworn enemies of the GVP supremo like Adv Radharao Gracias say time has come for Mickky to either retire or move out of Nuvem. “Leave alone the leads at the polling stations, if you add the votes of the opposition candidates, they seemed to have polled much more than the GVP. The writing on the wall is clear for the GVP and Mickky. It is a clear cut vote against Mickky. Even people like me, who had in the past voted for Nelly, opposed her this time because she has contested on the GVP banner”, Radharao said.
Fully aware that this is the second time in less than a year that his appeal to his voters to vote in a particular direction came a cropper, Mickky said things will soon fall in place, saying he has a plan up his sleeve to overcome the situation. “I know that I had to face the brunt of the religious leaders just because I am aligned with the BJP. But people should realise that I am supporting the government for development. My opponents should know that neither do I have plans to retire nor move out of Nuvem”, Mickky asserted, while promising to unveil his plan of action at the right time before the 2017 assembly polls.
