~ A city becomes great when righteous men give it their blessing;
but a city is brought to ruin by the words of the wicked. (Proverbs)

GOING TO THE POLLS... AND THEN?

HERE today, gone tomorrow, characterizes the situation in Goa, where strange things occur almost continuously, particularly in the political sphere. It is volatile politics that dominates headlines, and with the mid-term poll at our doorsteps the talk of the town is elections and politics. Of course, most common discussions take off innocuously by everyone feigning that he or she would not like to be drawn into the discussion.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress Party, the re-awakened Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the third force comprising of UGDP (which has swallowed Mathany Saldanha and the GLP and comprises of CPI, CPM and others) are already out appealing to the 9,19,013 odd electorate to return them to power. Shiv Sena, whose supremo Sanjay Harmalkar feels that the Goan electorate now looks more kindly on them, is still on the look out for poll alliances. The Janata Dal (Secular) will joint the fray in five constituencies. Su-Raj Party is looking out for non-corrupt and capable candidates. There are reports that even the Akhil Bharatiya Sena, an organisation headed by Arun Gawali, has decided to contest the ensuing Goa Assembly mid-term polls.

If the MGP joins the third front then it will surely tilt the scales and severely affect the BJP applecart in the majority community areas and the Congress Party in the minority bastions. Judging by the prevailing mood, one almost begins to visualize a hung assembly, with no single party securing a majority to form Goa's forthcoming government. Moreover, no single party has been able to resolve their internal dissensions and declare an unanimously chosen candidate, except in very rare cases.

Having risen to power with the support of defectors, the BJP assures stability if returned to power. Their 17-month rule might have witnessed a bit of road repairs, Dayanand Society Security Scheme implementation and pronouncements of the improvement in the financial position of the State. One can almost take these so-called achievements with a pinch of salt and consider it as election-eve PR.

The 'ruling' period has been too brief for the BJP ministers and MLAs in the recently dissolved assembly to establish their profiles as public figures or leaders. In fact, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is the sole recognizable public figure. Even a feeling persists that he has not allowed any of his colleagues to grow too big for their boots. Was Parrikar any different from earlier CMs? Didn't he have his own 14-minister jumbo cabinet after all the talk of austerity? Moreover, the Godhra carnage in Gujarat, the anti-minority stance and the sudden dissolution of the State legislative assembly and continuing with their ministry hardly gives the BJP any advantage in the poll arena.

Those legislators, who had defected from the Congress Party and supported the BJP to form the government, are in a serious predicament because at the time of transferring their allegiance they hadn't realized that they would be facing the electorate at such short notice. Though none of the MLAs might have been sure that the BJP government would sail successfully through the entire term, they had not bargained for the term to be reduced abruptly by half.

Walking away from the BJP camp or being shown the door has not solved the problems either for the turncoats. 'Homecoming' prove rather uneasy where they had stirred animosity by causing the party's collapse? Other eager aspirants to power have already filled the vacuum. The Congress Party, of course, has always been riddled with chronic dissensions. Would it be wise for the secularity-demanding party to open the doors and offer seats for the defectors and corrupt former MLAs despite their 'winnable' status and lose the little store of goodwill, which still lingers on among some sections of the electorate?

The virtually defunct Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and its "Lion" have emerged from their prolonged hibernation. In an effort to provide a third front against the BJP and the Congress Party, the MGP leaders are discussing the possibility of seat-sharing with the UGDP. But judging by the utterances of MGP's general Secretary Dr Kashinath Jhalmi and UGDP's vice-president and spokesman Radharao Gracias, there appears to be too wide a gulf between the two parties. The UGDP finds the BJP communal and casteist and Congress totally corrupt, and claims that the third front is the sole remedy to eradicate corruption and communalism in Goa.

And, if politics means the fine art of keeping a particular set of people from coming to power, then Goa is one place where this art is practiced in a masterly manner. Grand old politicians like National Congress Party's Dr Wilfred de Souza, who helped split the Congress Party and paved the way for the BJP to assume power in Goa, are now seen struggling to strike alliances with the self-same Congress to "wipe out" the BJP, while the NCP goes to the polls for the first time in Goa. At the last elections, Dr de Souza was leading the Goa Rajiv Congress Party, whose aspirations then appeared more regional than "National".

The Catholic Church in Goa is a significant factor in moulding public opinion at election time. The Diocesan Centre for Social Action has appealed for the rejection of candidates representing communal interests, corrupt politicians and habitual defectors, and also to defeat money and muscle power and to promote a third candidate.

The first week of May will decide the fate of the large number of prospective candidates with the final list declared by each party. May 30, the poll day, will confirm their entry into the next Goa state legislative assembly. Of course, the battle will continue even after having won at the ballot because the ambitious winners would fight for the CM's chair or to corner the right portfolio. In politics, friends today, could be foes tomorrow...going by Goa's ongoing phenomenon of evolution.

Joel D'Souza
EDITOR