The political fluidity in Goa may continue as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is being closely chased by the Congress in trends that separate them by a narrow margin.
Despite high anti-incumbency and public anger against BJP, the party has fared well in the elections. The Opposition space was taken up by an array of political parties that were not able to build a successful narrative to convince people that they were capable of changing their lives for the better. If there was a perception in Goa that the Opposition could credibly defeat BJP, then the numbers would have been much higher for Congress, said, political experts.
The game-changer will be cobbling together of alliances and working out the magic figure of 21 for the 40-member Legislative Assembly in Goa. The conflict within the Opposition and its inability to present a strong alternative are being talked about as reasons for BJP’s comeback as trends indicate.
As expected, incumbent BJP Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant was trailing in Sanquelim, while his party colleague Vishwajit Rane is leading in Valpoi.
Vishwajit is a strong contender to the chief minister’s chair. There was strong talk in Goa that his supporters were plotting to ensure Sawant’s defeat. His wife Divya Rane is contesting against her father-in-law and Congress Party’s undefeated stalwart Pratapsinh Rane in the Poriem constituency.
A few days before the polls on February 14, Pratapsinh, a former chief minister, had stated that he was not keen on contesting the 2022 Assembly polls. The stalwart has never been defeated from this constituency. His son and incumbent Health minister Vishwajit had questioned the reasons for his aged father contesting the polls yet again.
Deputy CMs Manohar Ajgaonkar and Chandrakant Kavlekar are trailing against their nearest Congress party rivals. Ajgaonkar was trailing against Digambar Kamat, a former chief minister. Kavlekar, who had made his chief ministerial ambitions very clear, is trailing against Altone D Costa in Quepem.
The noise made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in its campaign does not seem to have got the party any gains. According to the trends, the party was leading only in one seat. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which too had a high-pitched campaign spearheaded by Prashant Kishor and the i-PAC team, seems to have a lead in five constituencies, as trends indicate. The Maharashtra Gomantak Party (MGP), whose support the BJP is counting on to get the required numbers, is leading in one constituency.
Interestingly, Uttpal Parrikar, son of late CM Manohar Parrikar is trailing against BJP’s Atanasio Monserrate. Uttpal is contesting as an Independent in the Panaji constituency that had always elected his father.
