BJP win three out of five municipal councils; opposition gain power in two
By Prajakta Chavan Rane
@prajakta43
Mumbai: Despite winning three out of five municipal councils in Goa, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may find it challenging to retain the state in the 2022 state assembly polls. The municipal council results declared on Monday for Quepem, Sanguem, Mapusa, Mormugao, and Margao are crucial for the political parties in the coastal state ahead of the February 2022 assembly polls. All political parties experimented with their strength and equation to gauge the voters’ expectations.
Of the 5 municipal councils, BJP has won Quepem, Sanguem, and Mormugao.
Goa has been a challenging state for all political parties. In 2017 despite winning the highest number of seats Indian National Congress (INC) failed to form the government in Goa. While in the late-night political drama, BJP secured the support of Goa Forward Party (GFP), Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, and independents to appoint Manohar Parrikar as the Chief Minister and formed the government.
The opposition and experts claimed it is wrong to expect BJP’s popularity to go by the latest results in the local body polls because the election was not held on the party lines. Besides, the issues and equations for state assembly polls vary and any kind of discontent among the voters may directly reflect in the voting pattern.
“Local elections do not reflect the popularity of state leaders. Primarily, they are not held on the party lines, so party ideology or leadership is not counted. Though the same councillors mobilize voters for the bigger parties in assembly polls, which party they support would matter,” explained Ashley Do Rosario, a senior journalist from Goa.
Besides, the aggression and alliance among the opposition parties would also make a difference during the next eight months. For the first time, Indian National Congress (INC) forged an alliance with Goa Forward Party (GFP) on an experimental basis in Margao Municipal Council and won 18 out of 25 wards.
“Our alliance was done on an experimental basis in Margao Municipal Council and it worked. We comprehensively defeated BJP. This indicates that people want BJP’s substitution and a strong alternative dispensation would be welcomed by the voters,” said Vijay Sardesai, leader of Goa Forward Party, who walked out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) this month.
The GFP extended support to the NDA in 2017 to facilitate the formation of the BJP-led state government under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar. After Parrikar’s death in 2019, the alliance soured when three GFP ministers were dropped from the Pramod Sawant- led government.
“I have mentioned before that joining the Parrikar government in 2017 was not my mistake, but continuing in it after his demise was my mistake. However, now we will provide Team Goa as an alternative to Team BJP. People in Goa want a pre-poll alliance of all opposition parties. I will welcome that,” added Sardesai.
When asked if the alliance with regional parties will continue in the state assembly election, the Leader of opposition in Goa, Digambar Kamat said, “The alliance decision for the state assembly elections will be decided by the party leadership in Delhi, but people of Goa wants the opposition to unite to bring down the BJP rule. Margao has taken initiative to end the BJP rule and it will be reflected in assembly elections across the state.”
Nevertheless, emerged as the winner in 48 out of 93 municipal council wards, Goa BJP claims of having complete support of urban voters in the state. The BJP has majority seats in Quepem (9), Sanguem (6), Mapusa (9), and Mormugao (19) municipal council.
“This was the preliminary tests before assembly polls and urban voters have favoured BJP. We have performed well in municipal council elections. Before this also we have won 6 out of 7 municipality elections in March and performed well in the December Zilla Panchayat elections. The result indicates that in Goa both urban and rural voters support BJP,” said Sadanand Shet Tanavade, the state BJP President.
The BJP bagged 32 out of 49 seats in the Zilla Panchayat elections in Goa held in December 2020. However, even then the opposition was fragmented. With multiple political parties in the fray namely BJP, Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), MGP, GFP, and AAP, the state assembly elections result could lead to a hung assembly situation like 2017, the experts claimed.
“Even in Zilla Panchayat elections, the opposition was disintegrated. If the opposition comes together the state assembly equation is likely to change. Depending on how aggressive and cohesive the opposition remains the BJP challenges would increase. If the current situation continues the assembly result could be hotchpotch like the one in 2017 or rather worse,” concluded Do Rosario.
Quepem Municipal Council performance credited to local BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Chandrakant Kavalekar, deputy chief Minister in the state government
Sanguem Municipal Council comes under Independent Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Prasad Gaonkar. But BJP’s performance will strengthen ex BJP MLA Phal Dessai return in 2022. It will improve his chances to claim the ticket from BJP in state assembly elections.
Mapusa Municipal Council hasBJPMLAJoshua D’Souza. The civic election was a test for BJP MLA as it is his first civic election as a MLA.
Mormugao Municipal Council jurisdiction has three assembly constituencies – Mormugao, Vasco, and Dabolim. All three with BJP MLAs. Rather, Mormugao is the stronghold of Urban Development Minister Milind Naik, while Vasco’s MLA is Carlos Almeida, and Mauvin Godinho from Dabolim.
Margao Municipal Council hastwo assembly constituencies – Margao, stronghold of Digambar Kamat, leader of opposition and Vijai Sardesai’s Fatorda assembly constituency.
Except for Sanguem and Margao municipal councils, all other councils have BJP MLA’s.
