EThe Congress could not have imagined such a fall even in a nightmare. The fall of the largest single party to the party of just 2 MLAs – in a nutshell, the decline of the Congress in Goa. The Goa elections were held in February 2017. The Congress was the largest single party with 17 seats in the 40-member assembly. The ruling BJP won only 13 seats in the state. The absolute majority wants 21 seats. Yet the BJP rule continued, and in the years to come the Congress languished.
Alexei Reginaldo Lorenzo, the MLA from Kurtorim constituency, was the last Congress leader to resign as an MLA. Alexei was one of the first candidates announced by the Congress ahead of the 2022 assembly elections. His unexpected departure troubled party circles. Leaders respond by saying, “I was shocked and deceived.” The resignation of Alexo, who is also the PCC working president, has come as a shock to the Congress, which is trying to make great strides in Goa.
It is essential to maintain the confidence of the workers. Therefore, the party is trying to give the impression that nothing has happened despite the collapse. ‘Congress has seen a lot of ups and downs. The people of Kartorim constituency will get a new Congress MLA in the new year. Alexo’s decision is suicidal. “If a person chooses to commit suicide, no one can save him,” said Dingambar Kamath, opposition leader. Apart from Kamath, Pratap Singh Rane is the only Congress candidate in the House. In Kolkata, Alexo joined the Trinamool in the presence of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Chargesheet against Alexoi
The Congress has been making serious allegations against Alexo since he left the party from the remaining three – member group. ‘Those who do things selfishly and betray the faith will face repercussions. He misled us until the last minute. I am sure the voters will teach Alexo a lesson, “said Dinesh Gundurao, the AICC representative in charge of Goa. Kamath made it clear that he would explain to the public what Alexo had cheated on.
‘Suppose there is a son in the family who is addicted to alcohol. What if his family members try their best to save him but he is not ready to stop? The family cannot be blamed in such a situation. He’s gone is a blessing in a way. If more people want to go then they all have to go. I will lead the party from the front, ”Kamath told the media. According to party sources, Alexo tried to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) a month ago.
‘He was a leader who got a lot of pampering from the party, but left the party. He had a meeting with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis. We did not take it seriously. He later tried to join the AAP. Then we went home and talked to him. Congress requested not to leave. This was followed by his appointment as PCC Working President. Despite being on the list of candidates, he unexpectedly walked out. He forgave us for all the anti-party activities but cheated us’ – Kamath accused.
The way Congress collapsed
The failure of the government to form a government in Goa despite being the largest single party led to the collapse of the Congress. When the Independent MLA declared his support, the Congress needed the support of only two MLAs to secure a simple majority. But the leadership was unable to bring the two together or consolidate power. Following the election results, senior Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and KC Venugopal arrived in Panaji and began discussions.
The question of who should be the leader of the assembly party was disputed within the Congress. The leaders turned around and made claims. The next task of the national and state leadership is to resolve this dispute. Crucial hours were lost because of this. The BJP, which knows the value of time, has been aggressively using the power of the central government. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari flew from Delhi to Goa. The discussions lasted into the night and into the morning. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the Goa Forward Party told Gadkari that they would support the BJP.
The main demand of both the parties was to bring back Manohar Parrikar, the then Union Minister and former Chief Minister. The BJP national leadership agreed. Everything was so fast that Congress was not even allowed to calculate. The BJP has re-established its rule in Goa. Parrikar with the Chief Minister. Political observers attributed the loss of power in Goa to the inability of the Congress to rise to the occasion despite the good prospects. Even MLAs who have left the party during this period are pointing fingers at the incompetence of the leadership.
Can new alliances be expected?
The Congress has decided to form an electoral alliance with the Goa Forward Party (GFP). The GFP had earlier been an ally in the BJP government. Support for the government was withdrawn in 2019 when all three party MLAs were excluded from the cabinet expansion. The Shiv Sena may also support the Congress in next year’s UP and Goa assembly elections. In this way, they are sending the message to the Congress that the Shiv Sena is not a big force in both the states but it is with them.
Last week, the Congress announced the first list of eight candidates for the Assembly elections to be held early next year. The ‘high speed’ decision was taken to counter the impact of the entry of the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. Congress leader Digambar Kamath will contest from Madgaon. A committee headed by Goa party observer P Chidambaram, MPs Rajani Patil and Hibi Eden, AICC office bearer Dinesh Gundurao and PCC president Girish Chodonkar will decide on the candidates.
At the same time, change of party or resignation is not new to Goa MLAs. In the last three months alone, 6 MLAs have resigned or joined other parties. Both MLAs said they would support the other party even if they did not resign from the legislature. Goa generally has small constituencies. See only 25,000– 30,000 voters in each constituency. So even if the party changes, the MLAs are counting on being re-elected as they have direct contact with the people.
∙ Will Mamata-Priyanka fight?
The loss of the Congress is a gain for Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool. When former chief minister and former PCC president Lucinho Feliro left the Congress, Trinamool accepted him by giving him a Rajya Sabha seat. Goa has more than 25 per cent Christian votes. Trinamool will field tennis star Leander Paes here. Not only Paes, but also Lucinho Feliro and Derrick O’Brien are filling the state with Christian faces of the party.
The Catholic Church leadership in Goa is angry that the Congress has won a number of seats in the last election to attract Christian voters, but most of its MLAs have defected to the BJP. The Congress is trying to overcome the arrival of Trinamool by mobilizing the youth. While Mamata and Trinamool are filling the nooks and corners of Goa with new slogans and campaigns, the Congress is raising Priyanka Gandhi as an alternative. The Congress aims to capture Goa ahead of Priyanka.
Priyanka Gandhi, who arrived in Goa as part of election preparations, had interacted with women. Priyanka danced with tribal women and went viral on social media. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP is also active in the field. A large contingent of the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will line up in Goa. However, the rank and file and the leaders are confident that the Congress will be able to win on the shoulders of the Rahul-Priyanka alliance better than last time.
English Summary: 17 MLAs to 2: Congress in Goa left stunned, betrayed
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