Daijiworld Media Network - Goa (MB)
from special correspondent
Panaji, Oct 30: Curtains came down on the campaigning for the October 31 Mormugao constituency (South Goa) Lok Sabha by-poll last evening at 5 pm.
Congress and BJP are in straight fight in this constituency which covers more than half of Goa state. The by-poll was caused by Congress member of parliament Churchill Alemao quitting the post to join state politics.
Congress candidate Fransisco Sardinha, BJP candidate Dr Wilfred Mesquita and two independents – Jawahar Dias and Hamja Khan are in the fray for the seat.
In May this year, Alemao had quit the post and the party to form his own political outfit – Save Goa Front (SGF), which fought a bitter June 2 Goa legislative assembly election against Congress, defeating two of its former chief ministers – Fransisco Sardinha and Luizinho Faleiro.
Alemao managed to win in Navelim constituency in south Goa and is currently heads the public works department in the Digamber Kamat government after his two coalition-hoppings
The Mormugao constituency LS by-poll may not be significant politically for either state government or union government, but it will surely be a testing ground for congress and BJP to gauge their popularity in this district.
In 2004, Alemao had defeated BJP Candidate Ramakant Angle. The constituency has always been considered a Congress bastion with majority of votes polled by the national party from Catholic-dominated Salcette taluka.
Right from the day one, Congress has been trying to pick up popular issues in this constituency. The first-ever press conference after filing the nomination saw Sardinha announcing that legalizing buffalo fight would be his priority, if voted to power.
Buffalo fights, which are banned by high court as a way of cruelty towards animals is one of the most popular rural games in the coastal belt and has popularity equal to that of football in these areas.
The BJP, on the other hand, is drumming up support in the name of anti-special economic zone (SEZ) for its candidate. The party has been holding a series of meetings in the run-up to the elections, appealing people to vote for BJP and protest against Congress' anti people politics.
While chief minister Digamber Kamat is in the forefront to muster support for his candidate, leader of opposition Manohar Parrikar is camping in south Goa, trying to garner votes for his party.
October 31 will decide the fate of these candidates. It is to be seen how many from 5,60,898 voters will turn out to cast their votes that day. Many fear that the lack of enthusiasm amongst voters this time could result in low voting, especially in rural talukas.
The counting will be held on November 3 and the result will be out on the same day.