PANJIM: Decision Day is here. After a month of discussions, debates, allegations, counter allegations, Goans will vote to elect a new government.
Polling for the 40-member Legislative Assembly will begin on Saturday at 7.00 am and will close at 5 pm. Voting will be held across 1642 polling booths. There are 251 candidates in the fray, of which 131 are in South Goa and 119 in North Goa. Counting of votes will be taken up on March 11.
Over 11 lakh voters in Goa will choose their new government from amongst several contenders, which includes the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Opposition Congress, debutant Aam Aadmi Party and the three-party alliance forged between MGP, GSM and Shiv Sena. Other smaller parties in the fray include Goa Vikas Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Goa Forward Party, United Goans Party and Goa Suraj Party.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, which has declared Elvis Gomes as its CM candidate has fielded the maximum candidates in 39 constituencies. Congress will contest in 37 seats and BJP in 36.
The BJP is fighting the elections on the development issue and is expecting to win 26 of the 36 seats it is contesting. “The mood amongst the people is great and we are hopeful of getting two-third majority,” Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is spearheading the party’s election campaign, said.
However, it won’t be easy for the party that is fighting the election on its own after its 2012 alliance partner MGP broke ties with it. BJP is supporting three independent candidates in Priol, Navelim and Benaulim.
What will also hurt BJP is that BBSM that in 2012 had supported the party, has now broken ties and entered the political arena forming a new party Goa Suraksha Manch. The GSM-MGP and Shiv Sena alliance, all former partners of the BJP, could dent BJP’s chances in many constituencies.
BBSM Chief Subhash Velingkar, expressing confidence, said that Maha Yuti consisting of MGP-GSM-SS will win a minimum of 22 seats and form the next government overthrowing the saffron outfit. “Neither RSS, not their family members will vote for BJP in these elections and every RSS karyakarta will take care to see that none of his family members will vote for BJP as they are ahead of Congress in terms of corruption and people know about it.”
The Congress, on the other hand, is banking on the public outrage against the BJP over the alleged U-turns on casinos, Regional Plan and other issues. The public meeting addressed by AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi seems to have given new energy to the party workers in the State. Gandhi promised to make Goa corruption free if voted to power.
“There is a strong anti-BJP wave in the State. The people of Goa are ready to reject communal forces that are making all efforts to destroy the secular and harmonious nature of the State,” Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Luizinho Faleiro says.
“There are dirty tricks being played by BJP by way of supporting Independent candidates directly or through some regional parties to divide Congress votes. Congress is facing this in many of its constituencies. BJP has realised that they have lost their credibility,” he said.
“Irrespective of all this, Congress is confident of forming the next State government on its own strength. We expect a thumping majority this election,” Faleiro added.
A majority of the candidates fielded by AAP are fresh faces. Its chief ministerial candidate Elvis Gomes has promised to put processes to check corruption in place within 90 days. Speaking to the media AAP CM candidate Elvis Gomes said the party will sweep the polls and form the next government.
“People of Goa will script doom and the end of the road for the BJP and Congress and all their politicians who tricked them for decades through the mining scam, innumerable land grabs and amassed huge amounts of unaccounted wealth,” he said.
