PANJIM: It will be a family show for the BJP in Tiswadi and Satarri with husbands and wives of two families, the Rane’s and the Monserrate’s getting BJP tickets in the list of 34 names announced on Thursday.
BJP has not announced candidature in Calangute, St Cruz, Bicholim, Cumbharjua, Cortalim, and Curtorim assembly seats.
Both the Monserrate’s are sitting MLAs and so is Vishwajit Rane who will contest from Valpoi. But Junior Rane has managed to run his writ by getting a ticket for his political novice wife Divya Rane against his own father, which was recently given a lifetime cabinet status by the Pramod Sawant government.
A third couple could have been added to this homely list had Savitri Kavlekar, the wife of Deputy Chief Minister Babu Kavlekar been awarded the ticket. She subsequently resigned and will contest as an independent from Sanguem, against a BJP candidate. Family Raj politics continues in the BJP along with the TMC which gave tickets to Churchill Alemao in Benaulim and daughter Valanka in Navelim. The Alemao family Raj extended to hr Congress, with Valanka’s cousin and Churchill’s nephew Yuri Alemao getting a Congress ticket from Cuncolim. The Congress too has been touched by family raj with newly inducted Micheal Lobo and his wife Delilah Lobo getting the Calangute and Siolim nominations
Faced with anti-incumbency, the ruling BJP was forced to drop two Ministers- WRD Minister Filipe Nery Rodrigues (Velim) and PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar (Sanvordem) and MLA Isidore Fernandes (Canacona) – all who had defected and currently facing disqualification petition.
Fifteen sitting MLAs on the other hand made their way in the list including eight who had defected to join BJP in 2019.
The BJP list could however spark a debate as it made a U-turn on its claims of being against “family raj”. On being questioned by reporters in Delhi where the party released the list, BJP Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis dismissed it as ‘occupational hazard.’
Poriem, on the other hand, has been Pratap Singh Rane’s stronghold which he has represented for the last 50 years. Fadnavis claimed that the party had requested Pratap Singh Rane to not contest this time. “We requested him to either support us or contest on the BJP ticket. Pratap Singh Rane asked us to give a ticket to his daughter-in-law from his seat,” he said.
The BJP will fight upcoming election under leadership of Dr Pramod Sawant, who is set to contest from Sanquelim. The Deputy CM Manohar Ajgaonkar has been fielded from Margao and not from his traditional Pernem constituency.
Some old caders like ex-Minister Dayanand Mandrekar (Siolim), Nilkanth Halankar (Thivim), Damodar Naik (Fatorda), Subhash Fal Desai (Sanguem), Ganesh Gaonkar (Sanvordem), and Ramesh Tawadkar (Canacona)- all who lost 2017 polls- have made into the list for 2022 polls.
The new defectors’ ex MLAs- Ravi Naik (Ponda), Jayesh Salgaonkar (Saligao), Rohan Khaunte (Porvorim) and Govind Gaude (Priol) have also got their share of tickets.
As promised by the party, the newly inducted members Daji Salkar (Vasco), Prvain Arlekar (Pernem) and Premanand Shet (Mayem) will contest on BJP ticket.
At the press conference in Delhi, the BJP said it has fielded three Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates from General seats, two Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates – one from General and one from Reserved seat, 11 OBC candidates, nine minority Christian including one journalist.
