On Tuesday, the BJP State President Sadanand Shet Tanavade declared that the saffron brigade has completed the first round of campaigning for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, scheduled on May 7, in Goa.
The BJP has fielded 5-time MP Shripad Naik from the North and businesswoman Pallavi Dempo, wife of industrialist Shrinivas Dempo, in South Goa.
The BJP hit the ground running the very next day after both the names were confirmed and due to their strong organisational base has been able to complete the first round within a week of the start.
Right from Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, Party president Sadanande Shet Tanavade, the other ministers, MLA, and party functionaries are all on the ground leaving no stone unturned and trying to impress upon the voters.
Looking at their enthusiasm, it really seems like the BJP is really working hard for “Mission 400 par”.
The Chief Minister himself is travelling to every nook and corner of South Goa, which traditionally has been the Congress’ bastion. This time he has the support of alliance partner MGP.
MGP’s Sudin Dhavalikar, who was one of the major reasons for BJP leader Narendra Sawaikar’s defeat in 2019, as he supported Congress candidate Francisco Sardinha, has promised a huge victory for Pallavi Dempo with 80 per cent votes.
Temples, Churches, vaddos are all being covered by the BJP in their campaign.
Of course, they are in the ruling and do have sound financial support but what is unique is the enthusiasm amongst the workers to get Prime Minister Narendra Modi elected for the third consecutive term.
Congress lost in transit…?
On the other hand, which is supposed to field the two candidates as per the INDI alliance seat-sharing formula, seems to be lost in transit.
It has almost been 20 days since the Election Commission of India announced the polls, on March 16 but the Congress is “Jaise The”.
There is no movement and no decision on candidates which has not only made the workers anxious but also demotivated the alliance partners and moreover the aspiring candidates.
And why not, the candidates feel, they hardly have about a month to finish the campaigning and yet there is no news of who the candidates would be.
The alliance partner – AAP leaders have started the campaign as part of the INDI alliance but the Congress seems to be in deep slumber.
The Congress president in the State Amit Patkar seems to be lost in transit, he was last seen in a picture at the Congress CEC meeting and thereafter he seems to have disappeared so much so that he does not even answer the phone calls of the alliance partners.
Questions are being raised about his ability to fight the BJP.
So far only media coordinator Sunil Kauthankar seems to address the media but his interaction with the press is somewhat vague and has been restricted to only criticising BJP’s strategy or charges.
He does not know or has not been briefed about what the Congres would do to win this election.
Congress seems to be still living in a fool’s paradise thinking that North Goa is upset with Shripad Naik and the South Goa will never vote for BJP.
Wake up Mr Rahul Gandhi, and Mr Amit Patkar, gone are the days of vote banks. Today is the time for a strategy on how to divide votes and win elections.
BJP has been doing that extremely well, we saw that in 2022 and the same would be repeated if Congress continues this attitude.
Hopefully, Congress has not given up the fight even before it starts.