We are now on the home stretch of the Goa State Assembly elections. And though the overall picture is still not clear, one thing is sure- the Congress Government, which ironically is the first one to complete its five-year term after statehood must be defeated. It has no right to continue after the worst record of any government since 51 years of Liberation.
Massive mining scams, wanton conversion of agricultural lands, total lack of development and internal bickering are the name of their game, and the party at the Centre seems to have no control whatsoever despite Observers who show their impotence.
It is the first time, however, that so many national parties have shown their interest in this little bibinca of a State, and are making a beeline for a slice of it. Mamta Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has octogenarian Dr Wilfred D’Souza, in the fray as a senior journalist put it ‘at his destructive best’. Then there’s Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party (SP), Sharad Yadav’s Janata Dal (JD). Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Jansakti Dal (LSD) and the Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDI) backed by the Muslim Popular front of India (PFI).
Only recently, a major land scam was unearthed in which former Town and Country Planning Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate in collusion with Dy Commissioner N Surayanarayana converted 60 acres of orchard and agricultural lands into settlement zones in Old Goa,Verna, Siridao. Varca, Cavelossim and other villages for a sum of Rs 26.58 crore. Monserrate is now Education Minister in the current Congress Government.
Mining magnate Dinar Tarcar, who was rightly exposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for his mining leases, has now obtained a ticket from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) with the blessings of the same Parrikar who a decade ago claimed BJP was ‘a party with a difference’. But all seems fair in political wars.
Parrikar has been waiting in the wings for long, and is now resorting to all kinds of tactics to win of the Catholic vote. He has already apologized for cancelling Good Friday and St. Francis Xavier’s feast as public holidays and said he would restore them. He has also given tickets to a number of Catholics - and don’t we know that former Ramponkar leader and activist Mathany Saldanha has virtually become his lap dog.
First, Parrikar managed to keep his rival Shripad Naik out of the elections by offering him a ticket in Porvorim, that too at the last minute. Nearly a decade ago, he shunted Shripad to the Centre to have the field all to himself. That Parrikar belongs to the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) and Shripad to the Bhandari Samaj (BS) is not accidental.
Analysts feel that the urban vote may go to the BJP because of the glaring misrule by Digambar Kamat and his cronies, but the rural vote is unlikely to follow as they will not forgive Parrikar as Chief Minister for attending a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) meet in their customary khaki uniform.
On the other hand, the Congress’ penchant for dynastic rule will surely go against them. The two Ranes are already there. Churchill is getting his lawyer daughter Valanka after many previous efforts had failed, Joaquim is getting his son Yuri on a National Congress Party (NCP)ticket. Ravi Naik is getting his son Ritesh in, Babush his wife Jennifer. The list is endless.
In the past, I have said it is better to have your purse picked than being stabbed in the back by a trishul. But it’s not only the pocket that is picked, it is you yourself. So the opposite seems better. The Congress has forfeited it right to rule. Some their right to live.
