Goemkapronn desk
Panaji: Issues like employment to sons of the soil, resumption of all iron ore mining operations and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances will figure prominently in the coastal Goa state during the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
Polling will be held in Goa in a single phase on May 7. Counting of votes will be held on June 4.
Apprehension among locals over the possible closure of Dabolim airport and tribals seeking political reservation in the legislative assembly are other issues that have gained prominence ahead of the polls.
Goa has two Lok Sabha constituencies. While the North Goa seat is held by the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the South Goa constituency is represented by the Congress.
Along with the local issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma, unemployment and inflation will be some of the key factors during the election campaign in the state.
Following are some key election issues in Goa: Demand for jobs to sons of the soil: This is a prominent issue, especially in the state’s rural pockets. Opposition parties including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Goa Forward Party (GFP) have been demanding 80 per cent reservation for locals in the private sector.
The INDIA bloc is likely to make it one of the major poll planks to attract young voters.
The Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), a new regional party, is canvassing for its proposed “Person of Goan Origin Bill” to ensure that persons whose parents were born in the state before its liberation from Portuguese rule should get government jobs and other facilities.
Demographic changes in the coastal state due to the increasing influx of citizens from other states who have made this state their home is one the election planks the RGP.
Mining operations: The closure of the iron ore mining industry since 2012 has adversely affected the state’s economy. Since a number of families depend on this industry for livelihood in the iron ore-rich belt, it is a sensitive issue.
The Congress party is likely to target the BJP on this issue.
The BJP government in Goa has managed to partially resume the mining operations by auctioning the leases, the industry is yet to see a full-fledged resumption.
CRZ: The opposition parties are demanding immediate finalisation of CRZ in the state. The Congress says the livelihood of traditional fisherfolk on the coast is at stake.
The Goa Bench of Bombay High Court recently asked to shut down 175 establishments in the coastal belt for not adhering to norms as per Coastal Regulation Zone. This is also a major poll issue, according to observers.
Dabolim airport: The opening of the Manohar International Airport (MIA) at Mopa in North Goa has raised apprehensions that the Dabolim airport at a naval base in South Goa may shut down.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has assured that both the airports will continue to exist.
The opposition parties say there has been a 20 per cent decrease in flight operations at Dabolim due to commissioning of the Mopa airport.
Political reservation for Scheduled Tribes: The Union cabinet recently approved a bill to facilitate reservation to scheduled tribes (ST) in the Goa assembly. CM Sawant said that four assembly constituencies in the 40-member House would be reserved under this category.
Some tribal leaders are demanding that an ordinance be issued immediately to form a delimitation commission that would provide the reservation.
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