At 100 kilometres away from Panjim, Canacona is easily the furthest part of Goa, if counting from the capital city and is not exactly within touching distance. To make matters worse, the entire taluka is now a single constituency.
Since the year 2012 when a delimitation was conducted and the Poinguinim constituency was deleted and the Dabolim constituency was created in its place, the taluka of Canacona now sends only one member to the Goa Legislative Assembly.
For the current term is Isidore Fernandes, for the previous two terms it was the BJP’s Ramesh Tawadkar.
The constituency has a mix of Catholic and Hindu voters which make for an interesting break up.
In 2017 Isidore Fernandes benefitted from a split in the votes between his two main rivals — Vijai Pai Khot of the BJP, who was given the ticket at the cost of then sitting BJP MLA Ramesh Tawadkar, who decided he was going to contest anyway. He successfully polled more than 3000 votes, enough to ensure that the BJP’s main candidate didn’t win.
With Isidore since moving to the BJP — it is the BJP that has a problem of plenty in the taluka. There are three persons now eligible for the BJP ticket. Isidore, Pai Khot and Tawadkar. All three will justifiably claim for the ticket and it is entirely likely that without two out of three are going to be disappointed.
What they will do about their disappointment remains to be seen but we don’t rule a revolt out. Both Tawadkar and Pai Khot have options among the multitude of political parties that have now set up shop in the state.
Besides the BJP, the Congress too has reconstituted its Canacona block recently but is yet unclear who will become the party’s candidate. In all likelihood the party will field a new face instead of waiting to see who among the trio of BJP aspirants quits the party and begins a belated search for a party to join hands with.
The AAP too had contested the ZP polls in the constituency without much success and is unlikely to have a serious shot in this constituency. The same is the case with the Trinamool Congress, which could be eager to welcome on board any disgruntled elements from other parties.
In the midst of all the politicking the issues that plague the constituency — the absence of water and power supply reliable roads continue to plague the constituency and are yet to be resolved despite 60 years of liberation.
By- Andria Fernandes
