Goemkarponn desk
CORTALIM: Cortalim constituency, which has a diverse population with around 30 thousand voters, will see interesting political development in the coming days ahead of assembly election 2022.
There are strong candidates such as former Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and present Aam Aadmi Party leader Alina Saldhana, independent candidate Antonio Vas, Congress ticket aspirant candidate Olencio Simoes and others.
With several political aspirants claiming people’s support from Cortalim constituency, it is going to be a political cocktail. Alina has the upper hand until now, but only time will tell about the people’s sentiments.
Alina was BJP MLA has remained with the people of Cortalim constituency and has backed people on various issues such as doubling of railway track, opposing coal transportation, Tamnar project, deforestation in Wildlife sanctuary etc. Saldhana’s stand on various issues has stayed in favour of the larger population of the Cortalim constituency.
She had also faced music from her voter when she was in the BJP due to the arbitrary stands of the BJP govt regarding three linear projects.
People were expecting that she should quit BJP and join another political party that will abide by the people’s choice.
And now Saldhana entering into AAP, she has landed in a safe zone and has garnered support from her voters.
Speaking about the independent candidate Antonio Vas, he has remained popular among the ST community, farmers and other lower-middle-class populations in some pockets of Cortalim and nearby areas of the Cortalim constituency.
Vas has been actively involved with the farmers and has given tractors for farming activities without any rent.
He has also donated some free fertilizers, seeds etc. and has helped needy people.
But considering the span of developmental works, nature, experience, and the vision for the long-term development of the Cortalim constituency that the Saldhana keeps, he falls short.
The largest political party BJP has not yet come clear about who will contest in Cortalim. With Saldhana’s exit from the party, the party will surely lose some votes in Cortalim.
There is also a debate and dispute over the insider and outsider issue, wherein recently, Panchayat Minister Muavin Godinho has been seen publicly supporting and pitching Girish Pillai as a BJP candidate. In contrast, the Cortalim BJP mandal has objected to such a move by the minister and has claimed that the BJP mandal is strong enough to get their candidate victorious in the upcoming election and the minister should follow the rules of the party and with the discussion within the mandal the candidate will be decided.
With such kind of internal skirmish between the BJP, it will surely benefit the front runner.
Olencio Simoes, who has entered the Congress party recently, has been very active in the public domain, be it a forum of traditional fishermen, environmental activism and anti-coal, anti three linear projects of the BJP govt. He being the relative of Late Matanhy Saldhana, claims to be the torchbearer of Matanhy’s legacy in the field of social activism.
Simoes has been optimistic about winning based on his activism and his work in the socio-political fields.
But time will tell whether he will win or not.
Cortalim constituency with around 30,000 plus population from all four villages like Sancoale, Cortalim, Cansaulim, Quelossim, Velsao, there is a considerable number of floating population and also the migrant population in parts of Cortalim, Sancoale which have been proved to be decisive during the time of election. Saldhana, in the past, has maintained a good rapport with the non-Goan population from slums and other localities, and this will come to her advantage where other candidates are lacking.
Saldhana recently has also promised to provide the proper housing facility to the slum dwellers if AAP forms the govt in Goa. Considering all the groundwork she has done during her tenure as an MLA likely going to benefit her in this election.
Then there is Revolutionary Goan Party, Trinamool Congress Party and others who will take some votes from the Cortalim constituency. There has not been much clarity and popularity about their candidates. But as compared to the front runners in the political circle, AAP seems to have more chances of winning in Cortalim, considering the people of Cortalim are desperately craving for change.
