PANJIM: The business end of the elections is round the corner when the parties take to the field with their team. The Congress despite all its hiccups and usual criticisms put together a team that has a mix of loyalists and new faces and has been lucky that the anti-BJP sentiment, has remained with them in many of the areas where the congress is expected to do well. However, the TMC which came with the promise of building a party, encouraging grassroots candidates, and bringing about a template of fresh politics, has followed the template of Christmas shopping for candidates and getting people to join them in last-minute spurts.
On the eve of the nomination period starts, one saw some such last-minute inductions of those who had not spent even a minute with the party and its people and joined only to contest. In St Andre, a Goa Forward candidate Jagdish Bhobe, quit his party when the seat went to Congress, joined TMC at around 7 in the evening, and within 5 minutes was given a party ticket, when social worker Rama Kankonkar was working at the grassroots there.
Then Aishwarya Salgaocar resigned as TMC Vice President saying many grassroots workers were sidelined by the party.
But by far, one of the biggest “betrayals” according to the locals of Velim and other parts of Salcete has been the manner in which Adv Antonio Clovis da Costa, a founding member of the TMC has been cornered, on the ground that the numbers were not in his favour.
In Velim, TMC party members are openly speaking out against the party for the way it has been doing its politics. “After flirting with Filipe Nery Rodrigues, a defector whom no party has touched, the TMC turned to Benjamin Silva another perennial party hopper, and made him join. This has particularly hurt not just his supporters but many fence-sitters in Velim, Chinchinim, Assolna. They have openly voiced their displeasure at how a person who held the party flag when there was literally no one with TMC, is being made to wait endlessly, with TMC speaking to a defector and a rejected politician, contrary to the TMC’s promise of promising fresh talent and building the organisation”, said John Beda Periera, who also joined the party as the block president.
Doura Fernandes, another TMC member from Velim and Panchayat member said, “What is the difference between the TMC and any other party? Making their founder member and easily one of the most credible educated and well-meaning persons who will be an asset in the Assembly, hang like this is an insult. This is the way Congress used to play with people till the last moment. And now this evening TMCs agency told people that Benjamin Silva is getting the ticket and Clovis will back him. They were clearly told that no such assurance on Clovis’ behalf should be given to anybody.”
Many in Goa, including many people who joined them, have been left wondering if the party had given up its goal of bringing a long-term change in the political narrative. It came with a dream of creating a new dawn of good governance, and good politics, and that meant it has to be created by new people not looking at power but empowerment
Was it possible in a span of four months, if it had stuck to its plan, fully backed some of the initial grassroots leaders it had picked, given tickets to fresh newcomers with promise, a political movement backed by an organization would have grown organically?
The Luizinho Faleiro episode. TMC says he will follow the party line and contest, Faleiro has shown no such interest
Though Luizinho Faleiro has not made any official remark, his silence speaks volumes. It is learned that he was shocked to hear his name called out for the Fatorda seat after which he left the party offices. For 72 hours after the announcement their national VP and Rajya Sabha member has not stepped out or shown any inclination of contesting. Faleiro himself appears to have told some of his supporters that getting to know people in booths will take two to three weeks which is almost till polling day. At the same time the move has made Adv Seoula Avilia Vaz and Ethel Lobo the two women firebrand workers in a piquant situation not quite knowing if it was Faleiro who wanted this and if not then who will ultimately contest the seat.
Broadly, this lack of effective communication has caused deep uncertainty in many constituencies.
They spoke to all, betrayers, defectors, those believed to be corrupt to build their team
The template, according to many observers, fellow journalists, and political observers is that the TMC right from the very beginning wanted to bring political heavyweights from different constituencies to make them join and have a readymade team to content elections. They include defectors, those allegedly involved in large-scale illegalities. That they did not join was their decision and they have either joined other parties or refused to align with TMC.
Their biggest political catch Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco, was easily the TMC’s safest bet for a seat pulled out at the last moment. Importantly the Congress which had earlier declared him as a candidate refused to take him back and went with the political lightweight Moreno Rebello but did not take back Reginaldo and hurt Moreno. Contrast this to the TMCs handling of Clovis Costa and the difference in approach between the two parties is clear, say many in the Velim constituency.
Even the Congress’ long-timers have been pleasantly surprised at how the Congress, in spite of its earlier reputation of giving tickets to all and sundry have actually rewarded quite a few loyalists who are not winnable but credible. E.g. Jana Bhandari in Canacona and Adv Carlos Ferreira in Aldona. Refreshingly, the latter’s announcement was fully endorsed and backed by another aspirant for the seat Amarnath Panajikar who said he would wholeheartedly back Adv Ferreira.
What is the plan? To build the party by 2027 but contest anyhow now?
Many have asked if the TMCs plan to build an organization is till 2027, In these elections, it is going with the beg borrow and pluck approach to somehow put together a team and pray for alliances. It does have an alliance with the MGP but the MGP will fight and get results on its own because there is no TMC vote bank in the MGP seats. On the other hand, it remains to be seen how the MGP can help the TMC where the latter is contesting.
The buzz on the ground or Tinto talk about the possible result scenarios is that the Congress will surprisingly do well and can get up to 18 odd seats. The AAP, if the grassroots level vote percentage is anything to go by can cross the double-digit mark.
If the Congress consolidation does happen BJP may struggle to hit the double-digit mark, while the others TMC MGP Goa Forward will cobble together about 5 to 6 seats.
These are early days and may change depending on many situations and this isn’t based on any scientific survey or poll.
But then, there is something called the wisdom of the crowd which can never be ignored.
