Time to find the gems in the ore Joaquim Fernandes, TNN | Mar 3, 2012, 03.13AM IST
PANAJI: Goa goes to the polls on Saturday to elect 40 legislators to the state legislative assembly. The main battle is between the ruling Congress which had 20 MLAs in the last assembly and the main opposition BJP which had 14 MLAs.
After a campaign that has been bereft of issues, but large on promises that could cost the exchequer 1,000cr a year, Congress goes into battle alongside its old alliance partner NCP, to take on BJP that has snatched the Congress' other alliance partner the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) to its side.
With campaigning-and lots of mudslinging-over on Thursday, the principal parties, the Congress led by chief minister Digmabar Kamat and BJP spearheaded by opposition leader Manohar Parrikar, predicted clear majorities for themselves and said they would form the next government in the state.
Probably, the political highlight of this election is that BJP has not only stolen Congress' alliance partner the MGP and formed a pre-poll alliance with them, it has for the first time, fielded six Catholic candidates in a desperate bid to shed its image as a communal party. Despite that, Congress has reiterated its communal charge against BJP whereas BJP has hurled a flurry of charges against Congress. These include charges of corruption, illegal mining and the latest charge of seeking to perpetuate family Raj.
The ruling Congress is fielding 33 candidates, the highest number in these elections. It has left the remaining seven seats for its alliance partner NCP. The Congress-NCP team adds up to 40.
The opposition BJP is fielding 28 and supporting four independents in Navelim, Velim, Curtorim and Cumbarjua constituencies. BJP's pre-poll alliance partner MGP was supposed to field candidates in eight constituencies but is now fielding only seven, as it was unable to field a candidate in Benaulim. The BJP-MGP lineup therefore totals 39 candidates.
The All-India Trinamool Congress, making its maiden entry into Goan politics under the stewardship of old warhorse and former chief minister Wilfred de Souza has fielded 21 candidates with some important names like Pandurang Raut in Bicholim, Sameer Salgaocar in Mandrem and de Souza himself in Aldona. De Souza has claimed he will be a major player in the formation of the next government.
Besides MGP, there are two other regional parties seeking to enter the legislature. Goa's controversial politician and former tourism minister Francisco 'Mickky' Pacheco has revived the Goa Vikas Party which has fielded eight candidates. The United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) is fielding eight candidates.
Other parties include Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya), Jai Mahabharat Party, Samajwadi Party, Communist Party of India, All India Minorities Front, Goa Su-Raj Party and Janata Dal (United).
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