It is the one taluka that is drawing the most intrigue among all the talukas that go to the polls. With seven seats in the 40-member Goa Legislative Assembly is almost as crucial as Salcete for the parties contesting the elections in Goa and winning a bulk of the seats here is crucial as any for both the Congress and the BJP.
Hindu dominated but home to a large number of Christians especially in the constituencies of Calangute, Siolim, Aldona and Porvorim Bardez, unlike Salcete is anybody’s game giving both the Congress and the BJP equal chances at winning this constituency.
All eyes are now, however, on the enigmatic Michael Lobo who has kept himself busy and his supporters guessing over what his next move is going to be. Is he going to stick with the BJP despite having taken on his own government over a host of issues? Is he going to keep the BJP guessing until the last minute before finally deciding to stick to them? Is he going to jump ship to the Congress and join his ‘friends’ like Sudhir Kandolkar and Tarak Arolkar who have already joined the party?
With the BJP having already indicated that it was not inclined to give a ticket to his wife to contest from Siolim and has instead backed the Mandrekar family, Michael doesn’t seem to have reacted one way or another — but instead gave a very vague reply saying that ‘people will decide’ whether his wife will contest or not and appeared to back down saying that it was the BJP leadership’s prerogative over who should be given the BJP ticket.
The Congress too seems to be keeping even its own members guessing over what it’s moves with Lobo are — especially since Lobo’s ‘friends’ have begun to join the Congress in what they fear is a precursor to Lobo’s ultimate entry. Lobo seems to have promised that he will be able to win all the seats of Bardez for whichever party he is in provided he gets to choose the candidates.
Under this plan — Lobo himself in Calangute, Sudhir Kandolkar in Mapusa, Delilah (Lobo’s wife) in Siolim, Rohan Khaunte in Porvorim, Tarak Arolkar (tentative) in Aldona. That leaves the Tivim constituency and the Saligao constituency where Lobo hasn’t publicly declared yet who ‘his’ man or woman is going to be.
Besides Lobo’s games, the TMC by appropriating Goa Forward leader Kiran Kandolkar who shifted first to the Goa Forward and next to the TMC after quitting the BJP after they welcomed Nilkanth Halarnkar on board.
Kiran is claiming for himself two constituencies — Tivim and Aldona — one allegedly for himself and another for his wife — no one yet knows who will contest where.
As to the BJP, they are going to stick with their existing MLAs as far as possible — Glenn Souza Ticlo in Aldona, Joshua de Souza in Mapusa (unless they reach a deal with Lobo that Sudhir Kandolkar should be given the BJP ticket for Mapusa) and Nilkanth Halarnkar in Tivim while backing their old hands — Mandrekar (or his son) in Siolim and Parulekar in Saligao. Which way will the pendulum swing is anyone’s guess.
But if it is one taluka that is both important and filled with intrigue it is the Bardez taluka that still has quite a few surprises up its sleeve.
By – Andrea Fernandes
