Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: As the 2022 Assembly elections fast approaches, the political activities in State have gained momentum, with several leaders and aspirants shaking hands with parties and switching loyalties.
It’s a kind of “Transfer Window”, which usually happens in football or other sports wherein the players from one club join the other club, ahead of the season.
Similar is the situation in Goa today.
Shockingly, since 2017, the “Transfer Window” was always open, and one may call it even 24×7 in operation as 14 Congress MLAs quit the party to join hands with the ruling BJP.
The BJP, which had won just 13 seats in March 2017, has finished the five-year season with 27 MLAs in its kitty.
However, as the election are nearby, the party leaders seem worried as the core party leaders find themselves neglected over the new recruits, and as such many have them are planning to switch loyalties for greener pastures.
Many BJP stalwarts are unsure of the party ticket for the forthcoming polls, not just the new ticket aspirants.
The party leaders include former Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, former WRD Minister Dayanand Mandrekar, former Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, Subash Faldesai, Ramesh Tawadkar, Vijai Pai Khot are waiting for the party to announce the tickets.
Nonetheless, they have begun their work with party symbol telling their supporters they are sure of party tickets.
Most of the issues will be sorted if the BJP decides one ticket per family.
The BJP is seized of the matter of clash between their workers and hence has taken mitigative measures like former Pernme MLA Rajendra Arlekar was sent as Governor of Himachal Pradesh, and Ramesh Tawadkar was also sent outside Goa with a lucrative posting.
Nonetheless, the entry of 14 Congress leaders into BJP in 2019 has created more confusion for the saffron brigade as this has demotivated the core party workers.
With the new leaders in BJP, they are suddenly finding themselves in no man’s land.
Goemkarponn takes a look at the stalwarts whose fate hangs in the balance in 2022.
Laxmikant Parsekar
In Mandrem, though, Parsekar says he would be the party candidate in 2022; it would be hard to believe as BJP now has a sitting MLA from the constituency in Dayanand Sopte, who defeated Parsekar in 2017.
Sopte then resigned and switched over to BJP in 2018 and won the by-polls on the BJP ticket.
Parsekar is the BJP National Executive member and BJP State core committee and has been on record saying he would be the BJP candidate this time.
“I will be the BJP candidate, the party has assured me,” he says.
On the other hand, Sopte, too, is confident of the ticket.
Dayanand Mandrekar
Dayanand Mandrekar was defeated by Goa Forward candidate Vinod Palyekar in 2017.
To his luck, despite the offer from BJP, Palyekar did not join BJP in 2018, and as such, there was no claimant for teh seat from BJP until 2021.
But suddenly, Ports Minister Michael Lobo’s wife Delilah has begun work and is knocking on the party’s doors. She has not claimed the ticket so far, though, as per Michael Lobo.
Also, as per rumours, Lobo and his wife are set to join Congress soon, and if that happens, Mandrekar will heave a sigh of relief.
Dilip Parulekar
Parulekar was also defeated by Goa Forward candidate Jayesh Salgaocar in 2017.
Though he claims to be getting the party ticket for 2022, there are many other claimants for the ticket like Reis Magos sarpanch Kedar Naik, Zilla Parishad Member Rupesh Naik.
Rumour mills also suggest that GF MLA Jayesh Salgaocar is also in talks with BJP State election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis and other top leaders.
If rumours are to be believed, Salgaocar may join BJP soon and contest on the lotus symbol.
Subash Faldesai
Former Sanguem MLA Subash Faldesai was defeated by independent Prasad Gaonkar. Gaonakr later supported BJP but withdrew in 2019 after not getting any lucrative corporation.
But to his bad luck, Quepem MLA Babu Kavlekar joined BJP in 2019. His wife, Savitri Kavlekar, had finished third in 2017 and has continued her work in the constituency.
Being Dy CM in BJP government, Kavlekar has already claimed for the party ticket in Sanguem.
Hence, the fate of Faldesai currently hangs in the balance.
Ramesh Tawadkar and Vijai Pai Khot
Days after state BJP leader Rajendra Arlekar was appointed governor of Himachal Pradesh, BJP State Vice President and former minister Ramesh Tawadkar was elevated and appointed as associate chief (Saha-Pramuk) of the BJP’s SC/ST Morcha for Dadra, Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.
This suggests Tawadkar would not get the ticket for the forthcoming elections.
However, Vijai Pai Khot, who lost to Isidore Fernandes in 2017, is unsure of the party ticket as Fernandes is now the BJP MLA and Dy Speaker.
Fernandes will definitely claim for the party ticket.
Siddharth Kuncoliencar
The one-time close confidante of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar seems entirely ignored in the new formation.
Elected in 2017, defeating Babush, Siddharth resigned from his seat to make way for Parrikar in 2017.
But after Parrikar’s death, Siddharth was defeated in 2019 by Baush Monseratte.
Now, Babush himself has landed up in BJP.
The tussle for the Panaji ticket is now between Babush and Parrikar’s son Utpal Parrikar, who was denied a ticket in 2019 bypolls.
As such now Siddarth finds himself totally sidelined.
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