AERIAL VIEW
Coming to the oldest regional outfit of Goa, the MGP, the party, has remained only in Marcaim and other parts of Ponda taluka. The MGP has remained content and happy with that.
After the Dhavalikar brothers took over the party two decades ago, they have not expanded the party beyond Ponda taluka. The only place party with a good leader is Jit Arolkar in Mandrem. That too because of the Arolka’r hard work and nothing else.
MGP has always been the victim of national parties – Congress and BJP, divide and rule politics. Even during this last term, BJP engineered a massive split in party with Babu Azgaonkar and Deepak Pauska joining the saffron brigade in 2019.
Today, MGP has just one MLA in Sudin Dhavalikar but wants 12 seats from alliance partner Trinamool Congress.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
Goa was a state wherein the Regional parties have ruled for a significant part after liberation by Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the United Goans Democratic Party.
But today, as the 2022 elections approach, the regional parties, Goa, has only two significant ones to name – MGP and the Goa Forward.
These regional outfits were fighting for survival and were desperately looking out for a Big Brother or a Big Didi to remain relevant in Goan politics.
The Goa Forward, after numerous attempts, seems to have finally got its application for an alliance cleared by the Congress party, though no formal announcement has been made yet.
With the leaders deserting the party one after the other, the only hope for the Goa Forward was to hold the hand of the Big Brother Congress. But yet the fate of Goa Forward hangs in the balance. Goa Forward has just two MLAs left – president Vijai Sardesai and Siolim MLA Vinod Palyekar after their Saligao MLA Jayesh Salgaocar ditched them to join the ruling BJP, wherein he sees more chances of winning the forthcoming elections.
In such a situation, Vijai Sardesai has no bargaining power and, as such, would have to be content with whatever piece of bread Congress throws at him as far as seat sharing is concerned.
This is simply because the party formed in 2016 did not make any moves to expand, and except for the Fatorda, the party does not have a base anywhere. With Jayesh Salgaocar leaving, Goa Forward has nobody to fall back on or has no booth committees.
Similar is the case in Siolim, Vinod Palyekar is the sole leader of the party, that’s it.
Coming to the oldest regional outfit of Goa, the MGP, the party, has remained only in Marcaim and other parts of Ponda taluka. The MGP has remained content and happy with that.
After the Dhavalikar brothers took over the party two decades ago, they have not expanded the party beyond Ponda taluka. The only place party with a good leader is Jit Arolkar in Mandrem. That too because of the Arolka’r hard work and nothing else.
MGP has always been the victim of national parties – Congress and BJP, divide and rule politics. Even during this last term, BJP engineered a massive split in party with Babu Azgaonkar and Deepak Pauska joining the saffron brigade in 2019.
Today, MGP has just one MLA in Sudin Dhavalikar but wants 12 seats from alliance partner Trinamool Congress.
Despite the efforts of BJP, the MGP has rejected offers from the ruling party that it claims was the insult meted out in 2019 – first dropping of Sudin Dhavalikar and then the splitting of two MLAs.
However, the main reason for MGP here for the alliance has been the funding. After remaining out of power for a long time, MGP has run out of gas, and as such, it needs support from TMC to get the finance to fund the candidates.
However, as they say, “Beggars can’t be choosers”, the MGP and Goa Forward will have to be content with the decisions of the senior party member, which is Congress and TMC, respectively.
While the regional parties are looking for support from bigger national or regional parties, the bigger parties like the Congress, BJP and TMC also want support from the local parties.
Congress after 2017 has taken a severe beating and is under pressure to form an alliance with Goa Forward while the TMC is barely getting any acceptability from Goans and, as such, wanted a stepping stone like MGP to get a foothold in Goa.
Nonetheless, whether these alliances work, only time will tell.