Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: Claiming that BJP candidates in both Khola and Xeldem Zilla Panchayat constituencies are heading for a massive victory, former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP Vice-President Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar launched a sharp attack on his arch-rival and Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa, accusing him of resorting to “cheap and flamboyant gimmicks” after realising the inevitable defeat of Congress candidates.
Kavlekar said he is actively involved in four ZP seats — Khola, Barcem, Xeldem and Guirdolim — where Congress MLAs Yuri Alemao and Altone D’Costa hold influence. “The BJP is winning all four seats by huge margins. It has been four years, but the Quepem MLA has never been on the field except for pretending. He has absolutely nothing to show in terms of development work,” Kavlekar alleged.
“He knows only how to criticise others. He does not even have the courage to speak about his own candidates’ prospects. Instead, for the last four years, he keeps talking only about ‘bundles’. There is zero development brought by him. Whatever works were initiated during my tenure as Deputy CM, he merely breaks coconuts for those projects, posts them on social media and takes credit,” Kavlekar said.
When asked whether these attacks would bring Altone D’Costa back into active fieldwork, Kavlekar retorted that fieldwork requires genuine intent. “A person must have the quality to work on the ground. One must be awake to do meaningful work — not just symbolic gestures. Putting a hand around the neck of a needy person is one thing, actually working for that person is another. He lacks that sense of oneness and instead speaks with ego and bad-mouths others,” he said.
Kavlekar further added that the ZP results would expose the lack of grassroots work done by the Quepem MLA. “When the results come, everyone will realise that he has no field-level presence. The outcomes in Khola and Barcem will clearly prove this,” he asserted.
Incidentally, Kavlekar was seen trekking across hillocks and difficult terrain along with Khola BJP candidate Tejal Pagi in the Naqueri area of Betul–Naqueri village panchayat while campaigning and reaching out to voters. Several BJP karyakartas, including Khola Sarpanch Pradhnya Kamat and panch members from Khola and Betul–Naqueri, were also actively involved in the campaign.
