FOUR IN, FOUR OUT – BJP RESTORES PARITY with Gaude’s entry after Lobo’s exit

AERIAL VIEW
While BJP had gained 14 MLAs in trading, just as the election approached, it lost around four MLAs in Carlos Almeida, Alina Saldanha, Pravin Zantye and a Minister in Michael Lobo.
It is worth stating that all these four MLAs were pampered by former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. During their resignations, too, these four remembered the late CM and said that BJP is not the same Manohar Parrikar’s party anymore.
While the BJP was not at all concerned about the exit of three MLA’s – Carlos Almeida, Alina Saldanha, Pravin Zantye, who were anyways going to be denied a ticket, it was Lobo’s exit that would hurt BJP most though the party has already made provisions to keep the damage under control.

SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn

Since 2017, one party that has constantly been engaged in horse-trading of MLAs is the Bharatiya Janata Party. From 13 MLA’s in March 2017, the BJP ended up with 27 MLAs, engineering splits into the Opposition parties.
With the party ruling at the Centre, funds have never been an issue while buying any MLAs, though Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant often talks of funds crunch for disbursement of social security schemes or development works.
While BJP had gained 14 MLAs in trading, just as the election approached, it lost around four MLAs in Carlos Almeida, Alina Saldanha, Pravin Zantye and a Minister in Michael Lobo.
It is worth stating that all these four MLAs were pampered by former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. During their resignations, too, these four remembered the late CM and said that BJP is not the same Manohar Parrikar’s party anymore.
While the BJP was not at all concerned about the exit of three MLA’s – Carlos Almeida, Alina Saldanha, Pravin Zantye, who were anyways going to be denied a ticket, it was Lobo’s exit that would hurt BJP most though the party has already made provisions to keep the damage under control.
Soon after BJP realised Lobo’s intentions, it made sure that the damage had to be restricted, and hence it brought in strong leaders like Rohan Kahunte, Jayesh Salgaocar from Bardez. Also, the BJP roped in leaders like Ravi Naik and now Govind Gaude in Ponda taluka.
So while the BJP has lost four in election season, it has gained strong leaders.
Basically, considering the three would have been denied tickets, the BJP has lost just one in Michael Lobo and won four.
Now, speaking about Lobo, he may have miscalculated or underestimated the Bharatiya Janata Party, which he claims to have served for over a decade and a half.
He still feels he would call the shots in Bardez, but that does not seem to be the case as elections approach.
While negotiating with BJP, Michael wanted to call shots in Calangute, Saligao, Mapusa, Siolim, Aldona and Pernem, which was outrightly rejected by the leadership.
Though defeating Michael is an uphill task in Calangute, the same cannot be said about Siolim contesting where his wife is contesting from.
Similarly, Sudhir Kandolkar is losing popularity with the electorates with every passing day as he is seen more at Michael’s residence than in the constituency, and Joshua de Souza is gaining the lost ground.
With Jayesh making an intelligent move to join BJP at the right time, giving BJP leadership enough time to convince voters, Michael’s blue-eyed boy Kedar Naik, who switched over to Congress recently, may pose a challenge that is unlikely to go through.
So what is Michael finally left with, his own constituency Calangute, where he has now dragged himself into a danger zone.
Though a firm favourite, Michael quit BJP only because the minority voters were against the party and felt they would be dumped.
But it is now being felt that the minority voters would switch to other parties like the AAP and TMC while the BJP votes would remain intact with the party.