PANJIM: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has suffered one of its worst electoral defeats in the history of its existence in Goa, a state which they literally handed over to the consultancy hired by them IPAC. The master strategist Prashant Kishore has told many interviewers that he is taking a break and wasn’t involved with the Goa elections. The reality is that he was deeply, involved micromanaging everything from setting the narrative to selecting candidates to drop good candidates like Yatish Naik and Antonio Clovis Da Costa.
Prashant Kishore’s and IPAc’s master strategy led to this. In 15 out of 26 seats TMC contested they got way below than even RG’s votes. Though it managed to come second in four seats it was expected to win at least two if not three of them. Its second position in Porvorim is the only little cheer it can afford itself.
It has barely managed to come third in just three seats suffering absolutely humiliating defeats in all other seats. In fact in two seats, people gave more votes to NOTA (None of the above) than TMC.
IPAC which prides itself on having elections in so many states, picked candidates 80% of whom have lost their security deposits. A brand-new party Revolutionary Goans got more votes than TMC in 15 of the 26 seats TMC contested. After this crushing defeat, political observers wonder how IPAC and Kishore who are getting contracts in other states, will go on managing to pitch their success stories after such humiliating defeats where candidates are getting less than NOTA votes and behind Independents and brand new parties.
“TMC did not come for any evolutionary politics. It is IPAC here a corporate that saw these elections as a process of acquisition. That never works. This is Goa, You cannot come in a mad hurry, try and get ready-made candidates from everywhere, give them tickets at the last moment and say you are contesting the elections” said Adv Radharao Gracias, eminent lawyer, and political analyst
Adv Cleofato Coutinho said,“It wanted to be a front runner but all it did was try and pick runners up from other parties and run in other parties and run. IPAC did not understand the pulse of Goa at all and behaved as if they knew everything.”
The results showed. They got less than 50,000 votes in the entire state with its president Kiran Khandolkar losing his deposit. Khandolkar in fact had a couple of weeks ago gone to the extent of saying IPAC had abandoned candidates and he himself was contemplating resigning as party president.
TMC peppered every inch of Goa with massive banners and hoardings. Seeing the results that were only presence it got where neither the state nor its people accepted them.
“We accept this mandate with all humility. We commit ourselves to work
harder to earn the trust and love of every Goenkar. No matter how long it takes, we will be here and we will continue to serve the people of Goa,” TMC Goa unit said in a statement issued.
