The Congress MLAs’ fascination with coalition is a grim reminder of the early 1990s when between Pratapsingh Rane, Churchill Alemao and Luiz Proto Barbosa there were three governments in less than a year all pieced together by selfish Congress MLAs as per their own priorities (not people’s mandate). Or even, the horse trading of late 1990s when a majority Congress government was pulled down by some Congress MLAs acting in connivance with the BJP. Interestingly, the likes of Pandurang Madkaikar, Ravi Naik and Joaquim Alemao too were a part of the same dispensation that crossed over to humiliate the electorate’s mandate for a strong unified Congress government.
Elsewhere in the comfort zone of Sattari, the Yuvraj of Valpoi, Vishwajit Rane, was just soaking in the limelight of a fresh demand for a couple of seats or else his Sattari Yuva Morcha would add to the list of growing number of political parties that will be dotting Goa’s horizons when it goes to polls early next year. But for Congress, despite the hard work and an unbelievable comeback of its grassroots organisation – its blocks – and despite the positive vibes of its legendary Congress warhorse President Luizinho Faleiro, the nightmare of Assembly 2012 elections is set to repeat itself as selfish satraps return in the form of its own elected MLAs.
There is gloom in Fatorda Block Congress. Years after the block saw resurgence in its fortunes taking on the sitting MLA and checkmating him practically on each of his errors, the block is uncertain of the future. And why? Because the same Congress turned Independent MLA who quit their party seems to be finding more favour with AICC observers from Delhi. Elsewhere, another Congress leading light Pandurang Madkaikar, the former MGP turned Congress turned BJP turned Congress MLA flexed his muscles that he wanted his share of ‘seats’, one reserved for his brother or else he was already being wooed by MGP and BJP. Weeks after Congress cadres showed off their might wanting to contest and win from each of the 40 seats, President Luizinho Faleiro’s experiment with youth and transparency is facing betrayal and sabotage from his own party seniors. With the likes of Vishwajit Rane, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and even Digambar Kamat ‘wanting’ coalition, virtually rubbishing the hard work of over 38 Congress Blocks to connect, engage and mobilise grassroots opinion in favour of the party, it is now Congress MLAs who are killing the Congress spirit in the State.
The Pound-of-flesh collectors
For the people of Goa, Congress was reduced to the status of history in March 2012 itself. As leader after leader, from the Minister brothers Churchill and Joaquim Alemao along with family – daughter Valanka and son Yuri respectively – to former GPCC President/Minister Subhash Shirodkar to Home Minister Ravi Naik and son Roy Naik, to former Minister Dayanand Narvekar, the Congress’ house of cards fell one after the other. The signal that Goa’s electorate gave was simple – money and appeasement politics will not work in the Goenkar voters’ backyard. Peer pressure, civil society backing etc, was all forgotten as Congress paid for its own sins. But this lesson was soon forgotten. The Congress MLAs, who got elected despite not being in power, enjoyed legal immunity and democratic impunity. The promises to the electorate of giving a credible opposition that would keep the new government in check too were forgotten.
For any voter of Goa who has been tracking the democratic commitment of Congress MLAs, their absence of opinion or opposition to any of BJP’s policies, acts and scams, a pattern of greed and selfishness arises. While the voter of Valpoi or Margao may not bother how acres of coconut palms were burnt in Dabolim constituency to make way for a marina and a casino gateway, the fact remains that it is two senior Congress MLAs showing no commitment to the rest of the State. Hearsay has it that former CM Digambar Kamat made a trip to the ‘High Command’ and committed to an 18 seat win if he is made the CM and allowed to pick the candidate of his choice. What, however, is emerging is the complete disrespect to voters intelligence and/or party cadres grassroots outreach. Congress MLAs, including Madkaikar, Rane, Ravi Naik, all want their pound-of-flesh, their choice of seats and candidates whether cadres have the faith on the capabilities of these handpicked candidates or the voters find these candidates electable. Suddenly there is a MLAs Mafia that seems to be deciding whom Goa should vote for, communist style. As defiant Congress Blocks and cadres rise against the political hegemony of their last-time-lucky MLAs, the party that learnt its lessons seems to be ransom in the hands of the morally corrupt few.
Kahaa Gathbandhan (Where is the Coalition?)
Congress desperately needs a spring cleaning. In an interview to an English Daily last month, GPCC President Luizinho Faleiro had said that 65 per cent of next gen Congress leaders should be young reflecting Goa’s changing demographics. A clear signal that it is time for the old order, and even the middle order, to move on and make way for the young and the restless. Interestingly, the cries for a gathbandhan or coalition are coming from the middle order leaders, especially the current crop of Congress MLAs who all feel the heat of the youth resurgence in the party. But here lies a Hobson’s choice. If Congress goes in for a coalition, it will not be respecting the wishes of 65 per cent of the electorate and vice versa. The idea of gathbandhan in realpolitik simply means keeping the Congress decimated, weak and in the hands of a few who would have the uninterrupted authority to bargain. And there is a fear amongst Congressmen that the past might be making a strong comeback.
In the run up to Assembly 2012 elections, the then stalwarts Churchill Alemao, Ravi Naik, Vishwajeet Rane, Babush Monserrate had each demanded 4 to 5 seats. The calculation was simple. The one who got more candidates elected would have larger say in the next government. And if the Congress government did not come back to power, those elected would bargain with the ruling party seeking amnesty from prosecution in corruption cases in return for silence against government action. History is a witness that in the past four years, Congress MLAs kept mum on issues ranging from non-scrapping of Regional Plan to BJP government’s multiple U-turns and failed to even cobble together a united opposition. It was left to the Congress youth brigade, led by Sunil Kawthankar, Avinash Tavares, Yatish Naik et al, to ensure that Congress remained in public memory. The idea of a gathbandhan of convenience for a chosen few seems to be the suicide pact of a majority of the Congress MLA who seem to have forgotten that under their same coterie then led by Digambar Kamat the party was decimated from 21 to 9 seats just over four years ago. As a BJP Vice President at the Centre remarked recently, “BJP will win in Goa not because we are at an advantage or people want us but because Congress is a weak party and its remaining elected leader’s hand over the advantage to us.” Mahagathbandhan is that firm step towards a complete Congress annihilation.
Is there really a role for High
Command?
However, all isn’t lost for Congress too. Little noticed by either other political parties or the media is a consolidation of the grassroots organisation of Congress in Goa. A consolidation well complemented by decentralised decision making. A senior journalist with a national daily covering the AICC Headquarters confirms that “Luizinho Faleiro has been granted unprecedented powers to take decisions and set the Congress House in order. The decision ranging from forging alliances to the entry of new leaders into the party and even taking stand on important issues have all been given to him. The fact that after a successful stint in the North East where he got six states into Congress fold and even did a terrific job with Karnataka Assembly polls was the reason that AICC President virtually forced him out of retirement to get the Congress house in Goa in order should send a clear message to the grassroots workers as to whose writ runs in Congress”. And there are enough reasons to believe so too.
In past months, GPCC has been firm and committed to fighting it all alone in all 40 seats in Goa. It is only AICC General Secretary in charge of Goa, Digvijaya Singh, who shoots off his mouth whether gunning for a mahagathbandhan or stating that casinos are good for Goa. Both his stances have not only embarrassed Congress in Goa but were also in stark opposition to the party’s own stand. Turncoat Singh, however, quickly retracts his statements every time irate State cadres confront him. A clear indicator that the High Command for Congress is the new young blocks brimming with confidence, ideas and energies. The days of central observers and desk in charge has not only been exposed but also shown disastrous results.
What is panning out in Goa is the unholy vestige of Congress party representatives from Delhi doubling up as bone collectors. They are not only trying to forge and haul unwanted coalitions but also fanning discontent by placating old elected and defeated leaders who don’t want the new generation of young leaders to take the reins of the Congress. Digivijaya’s honeymoon with Goa Forward and other smaller outfits has an old man sidelined by central Congress leadership cosying up to any high bidder in private. However, the love affair disappears into thin air in the face of confident and belligerent Congress blocks. Interestingly Singh’s views are in stark opposition to veteran loyalist Dr Chella Kumar who firmly stands behind the party cadres wishes to go it all alone in the polls. In fact, such is the divergent point of view between the duo that Digvijay’s desperate attempts to haul the old concept of High Command is falling flat. The halo and mysticism around the AICC desk in charge or the ‘High Command’ does not exist anymore as party cadres refuse to take central leadership’s illogical hegemony seriously. Even the recent crossover of Congress’ Sanguem prospect and GPCC Vice President Prasad Gaonkar to NCP whilst the AICC representatives in Goa were in the state highlights the fact that the party cadre has a mind of its own and would refuse to be sacrificed on the altar of coalition politics. The self-assumed High Commands have been reduced as agents of the outsider who tries to backseat drive the Congress party. Congress is not only sleeping with the enemy but is the own greatest enemy.
For Congress to come back to power in Goa, the mantra is simple. Field at least 60-65% new faces, disown the existing leaders who try to connive and conspire against the party candidates and reinforce the fact to the blocks, grassroots workers and the people of Goa at large that it isn’t the same old, ageing, corrupt, conniving and lack of vision Congress anymore. This is a new Congress and it does not need the crutches of imaginary High Commands and perceived coalitions. If it needs to survive in Goa’s politiscape, it needs to believe in the change that has happened in the past few years. And for a party that stands marginalized at the Centre, its self-imposed High Commands and local Congress veteran MLAs should understand that Goan Congressmen have found their voices. Any attempt to negotiate coalitions or bulk distribute seats to senior party men will result in they themselves being booted out by a restless cadre that wants stability and transparency in governing Goa. What remains to be seen is whether the champions of mahagathbandhan prevail and take Goa to the same chain of musical chairs, family raj and horse trading that brought Goa to a standstill in the nineties or will a mahagathbandhan that decimates Congress and hands over the reins of a failed BJP State back to the BJP with the promise of immunity from legal prosecution for their past sins that shall prevail.
