Cong, BJP go all out to win over voters
This tiny state sends only two MPs to the Lok Sabha, but winning the 40-member state legislature has always been equally important for the Congress and the BJP, the two major national parties.
By Smitha Venkateswaran, TNN |
PANAJI: This tiny state sends only two MPs to the Lok Sabha, but winning the 40-member state legislature has always been equally important for the Congress and the BJP, the two major national parties. The former thinks it is the sole custodian of the state’s minorities, while the latter is trying to prove the opposite by wooing the majority. The campaigning for the June 2 elections came to a close on Thursday.
Congress general secretary in charge of party affairs in Goa, Margaret Alva describes Goa as a “unique and important state”, while senior BJP member and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, LK Advani thinks Goa can be a model state where elections are fought on issues like ‘honesty’ and ‘development’.
For the Congress, winning Goa is significant as it will give it a chance to pursue and modify its development plans, be it the Regional Plan 2011, which was de-notified owing to public pressure or the proposed international airport at Mopa. For the BJP, a victory in Goa will be a moral booster after the severe drubbing it got in Uttar Pradesh.
And both the parties are leaving no stone unturned to ensure victory for their candidates. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has already visited Goa twice for electioneering — her first two visits to the state. Other senior Congress leaders, including finance minister P Chidambaram, Ambika Soni and Prithiviraj Chauhan, have also attended election meetings in the state, while the NCP had brought Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel to the state for electioneering.
For the BJP, stalwarts like LK Advani, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh have already put in an appearance, while some Shiv Sena leaders too have attended rallies in the state.
Leaders from neighbouring states, mainly Karnataka and Maharashtra, are being increasingly brought in as the focus is also on the rising migrant population. While former prime minister and JD (S) leader Deve Gowda is staying put in Goa wooing the growing Kannadigas in the state, Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh and senior leader Narayan Rane has been playing it out for the Congress. Gopinath Munde was representing the Maharashtrian face for the BJP. The migrant population in the state, according to the 2001 census, accounts for 18% of Goa’s 14 lakh population.
However, the one conspicuous by his absence was Union railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, as Goa is known to have a huge Bihari population, largely consisting of migrant labourers.
Efforts are also on to appease the local clergy, be it the temple ‘pandit’ or the priest. In a state where the Christian population is close to 30%, the church evidently plays a vital role. It has been asking people to vote for candidates that “maintain the communal harmony of state”.
However, while both the parties are trying to prove the other wrong, there has been a spurt in the number of regional outfits and independent candidates. The newly formed Save Goa Front (SGF), along with the old, if not outdated, outfits like the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the United Goan Democratic Party (UGDP) are expected to play a key role in the post-election scenario. Both the BJP and the Congress know the importance of these outfits in power equations.
Congress general secretary in charge of party affairs in Goa, Margaret Alva describes Goa as a “unique and important state”, while senior BJP member and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, LK Advani thinks Goa can be a model state where elections are fought on issues like ‘honesty’ and ‘development’.
For the Congress, winning Goa is significant as it will give it a chance to pursue and modify its development plans, be it the Regional Plan 2011, which was de-notified owing to public pressure or the proposed international airport at Mopa. For the BJP, a victory in Goa will be a moral booster after the severe drubbing it got in Uttar Pradesh.
And both the parties are leaving no stone unturned to ensure victory for their candidates. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has already visited Goa twice for electioneering — her first two visits to the state. Other senior Congress leaders, including finance minister P Chidambaram, Ambika Soni and Prithiviraj Chauhan, have also attended election meetings in the state, while the NCP had brought Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel to the state for electioneering.
For the BJP, stalwarts like LK Advani, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh have already put in an appearance, while some Shiv Sena leaders too have attended rallies in the state.
Leaders from neighbouring states, mainly Karnataka and Maharashtra, are being increasingly brought in as the focus is also on the rising migrant population. While former prime minister and JD (S) leader Deve Gowda is staying put in Goa wooing the growing Kannadigas in the state, Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh and senior leader Narayan Rane has been playing it out for the Congress. Gopinath Munde was representing the Maharashtrian face for the BJP. The migrant population in the state, according to the 2001 census, accounts for 18% of Goa’s 14 lakh population.
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However, the one conspicuous by his absence was Union railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, as Goa is known to have a huge Bihari population, largely consisting of migrant labourers.
Efforts are also on to appease the local clergy, be it the temple ‘pandit’ or the priest. In a state where the Christian population is close to 30%, the church evidently plays a vital role. It has been asking people to vote for candidates that “maintain the communal harmony of state”.
However, while both the parties are trying to prove the other wrong, there has been a spurt in the number of regional outfits and independent candidates. The newly formed Save Goa Front (SGF), along with the old, if not outdated, outfits like the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the United Goan Democratic Party (UGDP) are expected to play a key role in the post-election scenario. Both the BJP and the Congress know the importance of these outfits in power equations.
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