Panaji: Lotus Blooms in Goa, Thumbs Down for Dynastic Raj

Florine Roche
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Mar 7: For the BJP which is generally perceived to be against minorities the Goan Assembly elections 2012 where Catholics form 23% of the total population, must have come as a windfall. The Goa Assembly election results have negated the widely held view that given a choice to choose between a corrupt, despicable, incompetent, irresponsible, criminal and clan-ridden kind of government led by Congress Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, they would rather go for BJP considering it to be a lesser evil even though it is believed to be against minorities. This is evident from the fact that all the six Catholic candidates of BJP apart from two other BJP supported independent Catholic candidates have romped home to victory even when Congress bit the dust in its own stronghold.

In the 2007 assembly elections though Congress had won only 16 seats it had formed the government with the help of NCP which had won 3 seats and MGP which had won 2 seats and with some independents. The BJP had managed only 14 seats then. In these elections the incumbent government of Digambar Kamat could manage only 9 seats and took a severe drubbing in the hands of the BJP-led opposition.

In what can be termed as the biggest blow to dynastic politics all the four candidates of Congress strongman Churchill Alemao’s family and state party chief Subhas Shirodkar were annihilated by the BJP-MGP alliance candidates. Those who lost included several incumbent ministers including Churchil Alemao, Joaquim Alemao, Manohar Asgaonkar, Nilkant Halankar, Jose Philip D Souza, Fillipe Nery Rodrigues and Ravi Naik.

Needless to say the election result has been like a bitter pill for the Congress which had given 33% of the seats in the 40 member assembly to five families who have been dominating Goan politics for long. Since Congress contested only 33 seats leaving the 7 seats to NCP it meant more than 1/3 seats were gobbled by the five political families of Goa. 12 tickets out of the 40 were given to the wives, daughters, sons and even some of the remaining 28 seats went to their relatives. Salcete strongman Alemao had succeeded in Congress allotting four tickets to his family – Churchill Alemao, his daughter Valanka, Joaquim Alemao and his son Yuri. Congress had allotted two seats each to four other political families – Modkaikars, Monseras, Ranes and Naiks and it is this which had prompted former CM and would be CM Manohar Parrikar to term it as MMAARR alliance coined after Monserrate, Madkaikar, Alemao, Rane and Ravi Naik families. The opposition seamlessly harped on this issue apart from the corrupt and incompetent rule of Digambar Kamat. There were posters which read “Goa does not belong to these families. Don’t let them gobble up people’s money”, depict the real political scenario of Goa.

To add insult to injury some of the members of this MMAARR alliance cut a very sorry figure while participating in some of the programmes of national network channels. Education Minister Babul Monserrate nonplussed when NDTV reporter asked when he had given exam in Mohali as shown in his affidavit (the affidavit had shown he had passed 12th from Mohali). He went on to add that he has also given his graduation exam and within 3 months he would get his graduate degree and he and cronies laughed nastily. Churchill Alemao did not do any better when he was asked why he was encouraging family raaj. He said “when I was MP my daughter was asking ‘daddy daddy give me a pass to come to parliament’ and since then she has been interested in politics”. Goans who had watched their leaders on these channels were seething with anger at the foolhardiness of their leaders rendering a big blow to the dignity of Goans.

But Congress had failed to read the writing on the wall and was made to eat a humble pie. 7 of these 12 candidates (including 4 of the powerful Alemao family) were trounced in these elections. When Goa had registered a record voting of 83% in this election none could believe the BJP which had said it is a ‘vote for change’ even when Congress went on insisting it was ‘positive vote’. The election results have vindicated the fact the Goans had queued the polling booths with vengeance protesting against the looting of Goa by a few powerful political families.

It is not just the utter disgust against dynastic raj but the corrupt and incompetent Congress rule which had cascading effects in these assembly polls. It was five years of mis-governance or rather non-governance that had prompted people to ouster the Congress and pave the way for BJP to form the government. The opposition has accused Digamber Kamat of aiding and abetting illegal mining in Goa and not without reason. The report of Justice MB Shah Commission set up by the central government to look into illegal mining is still awaited is believed to have squarely arraigned Digamber Kamat Government. According to reports Digamber Kamat seems to have either aided or looked the other way round when illegal mining activities to the tune of over Rs. 800 crore were going on in Goa in the last four years. The opposition BJP had launched an onslaught against the congress accusing it of colluding with illegal miners, of land grabbing, corruption and the much abhorred dynastic raj of the Congress and it has paid rich dividend for the party.

The BJP which seems to have done its homework well realized that it has to win over the 23% Catholic voters of Goa and made gargantuan efforts to reach out to them. Their efforts included dispelling any doubts Catholics harbored against the BJP. The Catholic community which was fed up of the divisive and corrupt Congress leaders responded to BJP’s overtures. The party had given tickets to 6 Catholics and they all defeted either Congress or NCP to win the elections. Two independents supported by BJP in Navelim and Velim, brought down Salcete strongman Churchill Alemao to complete the Congrress rout.

In Velim which had witnessed a showdown between the Church and the cops the victory of BJP supported independent candidate Benjamin Silva against Water Resources Minister Felip Neri Rodrigues assumes importance. During the campaigning period constituency witnessed one of the ugliest and nasty attack on cops who had come to the residence of the priest of 207 year old St Francis Xavier Church to enquire about poll boycott. There was raid by Income Tax Officials just a week before at the residence of the priests which is said to be the brainwave of Rodrigues. The three CBI officials, who were badly hurt by violent mob, however survived the ordeal. But the incident certainly poured cold water on the efforts of Congress candidate to win the elections by hook or crook.

How the BJP will pay back to the voters who brought them back to power remains to be seen especially its attitude towards the minorities. Political sagacity entails they cannot do anything against 23% of the population without getting a drubbing in the political hustings. But as of now its strategy of reaching out to the minorities has worked in these elections and that must be a big solace to the party and it would do well to continue such bonhomie.

These results are also an eye opener to all that the voters are smart enough to choose the lesser evil when given a chance rather than blindly go by past trends or general perceptions.