GULF-GOANS e-NEWSLETTER (since 1994)
POLL MASALA Churchill & political colour Whether it is true or not, one doesn’t know for certain. But the buzz in the political circles is that saffron leaders have met up with Churchillbab sometime ago. We are not referring to the ‘stormy’ statement made by Mickky at the joint Congress-NCP meeting held earlier this month, that some top Congress leader had some understanding with the BJP during the last South Goa by-poll and even now. That Parrikarbab has a soft corner for Churchill is a well-known fact in the political circles. And vice-versa is not wrong. Politically it helps the BJP if there is chaos and confusion in the ruling group. The understanding between the saffronites and some SGF leaders during the last (2007) assembly polls has reached oblivion. There was storm in the tea cup when the BJP meeting in Benaulim had a good crowd three days ago. How could the saffron brigade attract such a good crowd, was the question on everyone’s lip. The grapevine has it they were supporters of one faction of SGF and one top Congress leader from Salcete. Any guesses? Incidentally, the BJP president who is also the North Goa candidate doesn’t want to hit out at Churchill by name on Mopa. Why? Your guess is as good as ours. At a function organized in Porvorim four days ago, Shripadbab while talking about Mopa said the airport would have been under construction had it not been for one person. Shying away from naming Churchill, he said, it is because of “ek vyakti” (one individual) that the Congress kept the project on hold. Such is Churchill’s popularity across the political chessboard in Goa, one may say. BJP and minorities Shripad bhau as BJP president says that the party has been trying to go closer to the minorities. One doesn’t know to what extent this is true or whether it is one of those statements made especially during election time. Taking along few families – whether beneficiaries of BJP regime or not – is fine. But the question is whether the BJP leaders were able to keep the many minority people who supported and admired Parrikar & Co, in their fold? No doubt, there are some prominent persons from minority community who have still remained with the BJP – because of Parrikar, Shripad Naik, Francis D’Souza or some other leader. But there are many who though one-time admirers of the party, have moved away. This is because they were being looked at suspiciously by lower-rung saffron leaders. They see minorities as pro-Congress. “I, like many others, am anti-Congress but they (saffron leaders) look at me with suspicion in their camp as if I am Congress supporter. So, even if we vote for BJP, they will never accept it”, said a distraught anti-Congress voter. For the rise of the BJP from four seats (1994) to ten seats (1999) to 17 seats (2002), there is also contribution of the minorities. The first term of Parrikar government (October 2000-May 2002) also attracted minorities to its side but in the second term, some developments occurred which pushed some minorities to the wall. The true colours were showing. Focus on Ravi Their candidate may not have been known across the state. Initially he was called `a weak candidate’. But in the BJP, it doesn’t matter much. Once the candidate is finalized, the cadre works like well-oiled machine. Adv Narendra Savoikar – a hardliner in the BJP – who has come up from childhood in the RSS mould – is now, in the last leg, set to give the Congress a tough fight. Backed by Parrikar’s strategies, the BJP has now reached the Congress homeground – Salcete. Apparently, they seem confident in the New Conquests areas – Sanguem, Canacona and Ponda talukas. Well, in Canacona, both the seats are represented by BJP but the area to be watched, it is said, will be Ponda taluka. When Churchill had won the seat in mid-1990s, he had received very good support from Ponda assembly segments. This time, he is not in the fray but it is to be seen whether sardinha would manage to take a lead there. Ponda has Home Minister Ravi naik, Madkai Transport Minister Sudin Dhavlikar while Shiroda is with BJP but Congress party president Subhash Shirodkar is from the same area. Following Churchill tantrums, voting in every segment would be scrutinized, insiders say. So, the focus will also be in Ponda, Madkai and Shiroda. Otherwise, Ravi may have to give some explanation. Silver on the stage! With one Tai working for Jitendra, the situation looks amusing in Mandrem. Sangeeta Parab, wholeheartedly is in the arena, trying to get votes for her party –NCP. But there’s no sign of silver-haired politician who comes from the same taluka. This is the time when the NCP-Congress is looking for more support from the taluka as the BJP had taken more than 13,000-lead last time. Where is bhai? He is one who is seem more on the stage than at the grass-root level, complains a worker of the party. http://www.youtube.com/user/placidousa SAY A LITTLE PRAYER FOR A WELL-WISHER & FRIEND OF GOA-WORLD TEAM Goa World Goa Mog Goa SuRaj Super Goa (em Português) TGF Writers' Sketchpad www.colaco.net www.goa-world. .com/goa/ music/ - The Online Music Station for KONKANI Mahableshwar http://www.mahables hwar.com St. Mary's School - Mt Abu, Rajasthan India http://www.abusms. com EXPRESSIONS - THE FLOWER SHOP http://www.goa-world.com/expressions/ http://www.w3.org/2006/10/SSML/papers/paper.pdf GOA MAG ONLINE http://www.goamag.net http://www.renewalsetc.com/renewals.htm
