People’s Candidate vs Party Candidate
The once shining example of a people’s candidate was Adv. Uday Bhembre. Even Adv. Gracias, after his foray, has never tested political waters again. When established political parties themselves collapse, what guarantee is there that unregistered and unorganised groups will survive, function effectively, or remain accountable? Who will finance them? Who will frame guidelines? Who will constitute their executive committees? The idea of a people’s candidate is attractive, but history shows that many parties born with similar aspirations have faded into oblivion. Organised political parties thrive on “winnability,” backed by unlimited funds for campaigning and for filling party coffers. Legislators frequently defect en masse, mocking democracy in the name of “development,” which in truth is often a camouflage for personal gain and power struggles. Even independents, who once professed to be different, eventually shifted allegiance to ruling parties. Those in power resort to corruption, if only to finance their next election. Goa, though relatively new to democratic politics, has gained notoriety for defections, subverting anti-defection laws. Ironically, the most literate state in India continues to elect unqualified individuals, sometimes even with criminal records, to the Assembly. This is a sad reflection of our collective political wisdom. The first Assemblies were once represented largely by intellectuals and statesmen. Today, voters are swayed by freebies and narrow personal interests. Parties like United Goans and UGDP—founded with lofty ideals—have been derecognised, while national parties consolidate power through propaganda and financial might. Independents too, claiming “clean politics,” often align with ruling parties for obvious benefits. It would be worthwhile to revive platforms like UG and UGDP, which once gave Goa a distinct political voice. But with voters vertically divided along religious lines and communal polarisation entrenched, the challenge is immense. A massive campaign is needed to break this cycle: changing candidates and parties every election, and introducing legislative reforms to limit MLAs to a maximum of two terms. Yet, as always, one fears this may remain a cry in the wilderness, with little hope of change. Nelson Lopes Chinchinim https://lopesnelsonnat.wordpress.com Nelson Lopes Chinchinim https://lopesnelsonnat.wordpress.com
