If there is a constituency in which the MoI controversy could play a major role, it could be Pernem. It is the first constituency in the list with a voting population of 29,515. The constituency has a majority of Hindu voters and is currently reserved for the Schedule Caste category.
However, with the number of political parties mushrooming there is a huge possibility of a split in the votes and no political party can claim to be a favourite.
Before BJP came to power in 2011 elections, the constituency had a Congress MLA. The assurances given by the BJP then (Manohar Parrikar) change the tide in favour of the saffron party. As things stand today, people are still weighing into the assurances given by the BJP and the on ground implementation.
During the period of the Congress government, former Panchayat Minister Manohar Azgaonkar had undertaken development work especially in the villages providing basic necessities.
But now the point is that the assurances given by the BJP are still pending. Locals say the problems of the people are still not resolved such as legalisation on sand mining within 48 days, scheme for pilots, money for adults who are unemployed, creation of 500-job opportunities per year.
Locals also allege that in the name of giving out jobs by the BJP, only upper caste people are been taken into consideration.
“All the jobs given are to upper caste people and only to the relatives of activists working for that political party due to which the local people have question that the party is for the local people or only for the upper caste people,” said local Shantaram Kerkar.
The people are also weighing the work done by the two MLAs Rajendra Arlekar and Azgaonkar in the constituency. People are not only looking at the social development of the constituency but they are more bothered about the personal benefit given to them.
Azgaonkar said he is getting a positive response from the people of all the work he has done till date.
Also, in a blow to BJP, the MGP which had an alliance with BJP in the last election is unhappy with the alliance partner and has sought to contest the election on its own.
The other major factor which will come into play is the – BBSM. Pernem is one constituency, which favours Marathi and Konkani due to its proximity to neighbouring Maharashtra. With the medium of instruction issue at its peak and BBSM announcing it will field its own candidate, one never knows, what is in store.
Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP has so far not been able to make any inroads in the constituency compared to their work in Mandrem constituency.
“The MLAs that are elected, work only for the people and area where they think they have won from. But as a MLA of a particular constituency, they should take care of whole and should not concentrate on a particular area,” a local said.
