The political class in Goa is back to its Machiavellian games of manipulations and machinations to once again fool and beguile the simple Goan electorate. Goa that was once known as the Rome of the East and Kashi of the South has long lost its luster and Goan culture and Goaness is rarely found nowadays. It is indeed quite surprising that despite the drastic drop in Goan ethos, Goan electorate has not yet woken up to the fact that they have to vote decisively to save Goa for their children and grand children, who run the risk of being a generation born and brought up in a cosmopolitan milieu.
That politicians are back to their scheming is very clearly evident as there are so many individuals and political outfits preparing to slug it out at next year’s Assembly elections.
The BJP government, not to long after it assumed power, faced immense criticism and rightly so for going back on many of earlier assurances and promises, the most glaring one being the U turn on casinos. How else does one justify the existence of the so-called off-shore casinos on the Mandovi river now. How does one explain a coconut ‘tree’ turning into a ‘grass’? How else does explain why tourism, which is our main revenue earner, not getting the required support to deal with some of the most contentious issues harassing them. This misrule should have been an eye opener
Ironically, instead of uniting, the forces opposed to the BJP are far too divided. And this division is not in the interest of Goa or Goans but of the politicians leading these factions. The new entrant from Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party is high on hype but low on grass root contact and that is why it appears to be merely a prop to help the BJP by dividing the opposition votes. AAP may have tasted success in Delhi which is as different from Goa as chalk is from cheese. The fact that it keeps on harping about the work done in Delhi, which is a city state, just proves that AAP has not really applied its mind to Goa and its unique identity. The so-called success stories of AAP in Delhi, if replicated in Goa, would be disastrous and will result in totally annihilating Goans from this land like the East Indians in Mumbai.
Another clog is the Goa Forward Party that has become quite vociferous and assertive in recent times. Mr Vijai Sardessai, the face of Goa Forward Party, no doubt is a very eloquent speaker and loses no opportunity to hit out at the ruling dispensation. But he has also earned a reputation, in section of the political and social class, of being a purported wheeler dealer, with allegations that he helped the rich and mighty from across the country purchase their second homes in Goa, and has some plans to further his personal interests. If he has allegedly played a big role in turning Green Goa into a red Goa during the preparation of the earlier Regional Plan, is there a guarantee that there won’t be an encore.
The Nationalist Congress Party with its new member Churchill Alemao seems to be playing yet another game to help the BJP. Even though this is a national party and has an alliance with the Indian National Congress at the national level, in Goa it is projecting itself as an independent party thereby dividing the anti-BJP votes.
The Indian National Congress which at the moment is the only party with the wherewithal and experience to challenge the BJP, is also lost in its own dilemma of internal machinations. It appears to have totally ignored the message given by the electorate at the last elections and instead of promoting new faces, is toying with the same old rejected faces. And instead of keeping its allies close, it is shooing them away by making tall claims of contesting from all the constituencies even though in the past, candidates fielded by it have withdrawn from the fray at the last minute.
This division of votes will result in a fractured mandate that will be disastrous to the State and its population. The leaders of these various outfits will demand their pound of flesh to enable any party to form the government and then the government will have the very convenient excuse of “coalition compulsions” to justify why it has not kept its promises!
Even the blind can see that the BJP in Goa, is at its weakest right now, compared to the high of 2012. Its alliance with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party is currently on the ventilator in the political ICU. The original Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Goa has launched a new political party that will definitely damage the BJP. A desperate BJP has opened its doors to the very people it accused of being corrupt like Mauvin Godinho and Pandurang Madkaikar. The BJP is no longer a party with a difference but is only bothered about retaining power as winability is the deciding factor.
The trials and tribulations faced by the common man due to demonitisation is a very fresh and live issue to be capitalised upon during the elections. Manohar Parrikar who had a rapport with the minority community in Goa has now moved lock, stock and barrel to New Delhi leaving the minorities orphaned in Goa.
If on the one hand the political class plans to divide the votes through the various outfits and individuals floated by it, money will continue to play a big role notwithstanding demonitisation. Candidates have already distributed money in notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 as the same can be exchanged or deposited till the end of this month. Besides, large amounts of money in new Rs 2000 notes have been found in possession of members of the political class or their cronies. All this indicates that money will play a role.
Will the Goan electorate fall prey to these games of divisions of votes and money play? Or will they vote decisively and prove that they are truly one of the most educated states in the country and not merely a literate state?
