By Irfan Iqbal Gheta
Political upheaval has become the new normal in Goa. The months leading up to the 2027 Assembly elections will bring the familiar cocktail of emotion, drama, comedy, tragedy and blackmail, garnished with a generous dose of grandstanding that our politicians have patented over the years.
Friends will turn foes overnight. And foes will suddenly discover friendship. Expect the political zeitgeist to unfold in real time on your smartphone screens.
The Grand Old Party continues to grapple with an existential crisis. The buzz is that the former president—dispatched to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry—may be plotting a dramatic comeback. Meanwhile, the incumbent president is clinging on by attacking the BJP-RSS, hoping to keep his seat of power intact.
A Delhi-based outfit has decided to go it alone, much to the relief of the ruling party. With two MLAs in hand and a history of street agitations, the party is eyeing all forty seats. “We want to contest across the board,” is the prevailing mood.
This sets the stage for Goa’s two local parties, each with a solitary MLA. The self-styled champion of POGO popped up in Thivim while an incumbent minister held a padyatra to showcase the benefits of GST II. What followed was a David-versus-Goliath script perfect for TV—complete with fiery one-liners, a fresh FIR, and headlines that wrote themselves.
But will it all translate into votes? The self-proclaimed Niz Goemkar has demanded that the sitting minister vacate the Thivim seat so he can “take the constituency to another level.” It is clever politics—combining street smarts with choreographed victimhood, a classic trick to paint those in power in a poor light.
Goemkarponn, it seems, is an idea whose time has come.
The chief minister-in-waiting, though, is restless. How can any party claim to contest all forty seats? Does Goa even have the bench strength? Shouldn’t the opposition unite first? Is the chaos systematic, or simply chaos?
His playbook is simple. Invoke Goemkarponn. Call for unity. Be visible everywhere. Protest? Be there. Activists attacked? Be there. FIR? Be there. A government project under fire? Be there. And always blame the ruling party. Keep repeating “I am with you” to anyone willing to listen.
When national leaders fly down for their weekend outings in Goa, he has his lines ready: “I will not allow you to set the political narrative. I am alert. I am no sedative-popping pushover. I will fight.” Cue more grandstanding.
Everything, as they say, is fair in Goa politics. The months ahead promise interesting
times.
A parting word of advice to our leaders: hire a good scriptwriter. And resist the urge to post on social media after a late-night peg. Goemkars are watching.
