“That reality is simple. The Bharatiya Janata Party continues to dominate Goa not just because of its organisational strength but because its opponents remain divided. Under Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and state president Damu Naik, the BJP has repeatedly benefited from triangular and multi-cornered contests. Even where public dissatisfaction exists, it rarely translates into electoral defeat because the anti-BJP vote is split between Congress, AAP, the Goa Forward Party and the Revolutionary Goans.
The recent Zilla Parishad results were yet another reminder of this political arithmetic. The BJP’s victories were not merely a reflection of popularity but also of opposition disunity. Every divided constituency made the ruling party’s task easier. Yet even after such repeated lessons, the leadership of the major opposition parties appears reluctant to move beyond rhetoric.”
For years, Goa’s opposition parties have discovered the importance of unity only after suffering defeat. The pattern is painfully familiar. Elections are fought separately, votes are split, the ruling party wins comfortably and only then do opposition leaders begin speaking about alliances. The latest signs of cooperation among opposition MLAs may appear encouraging, but they also highlight a deeper failure of leadership, particularly within the Indian National Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party.
On the ground, there is a growing realisation that unity is no longer optional. MLAs across party lines are beginning to speak in one voice on key public issues. Whether it is planning-related concerns, such as Section 39(A) of the TCP Act affecting Palem-Siridao or protests surrounding the proposed Unity Mall, opposition legislators have found themselves standing shoulder to shoulder. This cooperation has not come from party headquarters or national leadership. It has emerged from the ground, where political survival depends on recognising reality.
That reality is simple. The Bharatiya Janata Party continues to dominate Goa not just because of its organisational strength but because its opponents remain divided. Under Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and state president Damu Naik, the BJP has repeatedly benefited from triangular and multi-cornered contests. Even where public dissatisfaction exists, it rarely translates into electoral defeat because the anti-BJP vote is split between Congress, AAP, the Goa Forward Party and the Revolutionary Goans.
The recent Zilla Parishad results were yet another reminder of this political arithmetic. The BJP’s victories were not merely a reflection of popularity but also of opposition disunity. Every divided constituency made the ruling party’s task easier. Yet even after such repeated lessons, the leadership of the major opposition parties appears reluctant to move beyond rhetoric.
What is striking is that individual MLAs seem more willing to confront this reality than their own parties. Statements from AAP MLAs Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva indicating that they are prepared to push for an alliance, even if their party hesitates, reveal a level of urgency that is missing at the top. When elected representatives begin signalling that they may take positions independent of party lines, it reflects both frustration and political necessity.
The Congress leadership, in particular, must bear a large share of responsibility. As the principal opposition party, it should have taken the initiative in building a broad anti-BJP platform. Instead, it has appeared hesitant and reactive, often behaving as though alliances are a burden rather than a necessity. In a small state like Goa, this approach is politically unrealistic. Congress may still command a traditional support base, but without alliances, that base is no longer sufficient to challenge the BJP effectively.
AAP’s approach has been equally disappointing. Having secured representation in the Assembly, the party has an opportunity to expand its role in Goa’s politics. Yet it continues to act as though it can independently emerge as the primary alternative. Political ambition is understandable, but ambition without strategy only strengthens the ruling party. By delaying or diluting the prospect of an alliance, AAP risks being seen as part of the problem rather than part of the solution.
The irony is that unity already exists where it matters most. On public platforms and local issues, opposition leaders are working together. They recognise that the concerns of ordinary Goans transcend party labels. But unless this cooperation translates into a formal electoral understanding, it will remain incomplete.
There is no need for complex analysis to understand what is at stake. A divided opposition cannot defeat a united ruling party. This is not theory but arithmetic. Every additional candidate in a constituency increases the BJP’s advantage. Every failed alliance strengthens the status quo.
If the opposition is serious about offering Goa a credible alternative, the initiative must come from the leadership of Congress and AAP. Waiting for MLAs to force the issue only exposes a lack of direction. Alliances require compromise, but politics without compromise leads only to irrelevance.
The growing unity among opposition MLAs is a hopeful sign, but it is also a warning. The rank and file understand what the leadership refuses to accept. If Congress and AAP fail once again to forge a meaningful alliance, they will have no one to blame but themselves when the next election produces the same familiar result.
