AERIAL VIEW…
Kejriwal’s most important meeting was with MGP leaders Sudin Dhavalikar and Deepak Dhavalikar. MGP’s Sudin has already made it clear that he wants an alliance with regional parties to keep the Congress and the BJP at bay. Interestingly, Sudin’s MGP has had affairs with both these parties and enjoyed plum posts aligning with both parties in the past 20 years. Both Kejriwal and Sudin have ruled out alliance talks, but the replies are hard to digest for the common Goans. With elections around the corner, the two leaders would not be discussing the weather in Goa and Delhi or the situation on Indian borders. The only discussion would have been politics, but what conspired between the two only times will tell.
Suraj Nandrekar
Editor, Goemkarponn
Elections to the Goa Legislative Assembly are just a few months away, and there were already many political activities with several leaders joining and leaving parties.
However, the entry of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Goa on Tuesday has given a different dimension to the whole environment. It seems like the elections are just around the corner. It is safe to say here that Kejriwal has sounded the poll bugle in Goa and other parties are way behind.
The Delhi CM had several important meetings with political leaders, media persons and business people.
However, his most important meeting was with MGP leaders Sudin Dhavalikar and Deepak Dhavalikar. MGP’s Sudin has already made it clear that he wants an alliance with regional parties to keep the Congress and the BJP at bay.
Interestingly, Sudin’s MGP has had affairs with both these parties and enjoyed plum posts aligning with both parties in the past 20 years. Both Kejriwal and Sudin have ruled out alliance talks, but the replies are hard to digest for the common Goans.
With elections around the corner, the two leaders would not be discussing the weather in Goa and Delhi or the situation on Indian borders.
The only discussion would have been politics, but what conspired between the two only times will tell.
With AAP making a severe dent in Congress in the State, it would be a win-win situation for Sudin to align with AAP but will serve no purpose for AAP.
Now coming to the announcements made by Delhi CM Kejriwal, it seems pretty practical considering he has managed to implement the same in Delhi and announced the same in Uttarakhand.
However, the financial conditions of Delhi and Goa are different, and it would be interesting to understand how Kejriwal intends to implement the same.
Goa has debts of over ₹25000 cr, while Delhi’s GST collection crosses ₹40000 cr.
Giving 300 units free power and waiving off all arrears has raised many eyebrows and questions; how can this be implemented in Goa?
However, the announcements are exciting, but more than that, the people and voters would have loved if the statement would have been on cutting down VAT on petrol to 1 p.c, which Parrikar did in 2012 and succeeded in winning the people’s mandate.
Another critical point Kejriwal has touched upon is the defections in Goan politics.
Defections is an age-old issue that has been niggling the State politics for quite some time now. The voters are fed up with the defections and certainly looking for a party and leaders who will not betray their trust.
Kejriwal’s two-day visit was quite eventful and certainly given momentum to the Assembly elections 2012. The press briefing and volunteers meet at Panaji could easily be called the campaign launcher for the AAP in Goa. They (AAP) are now undoubtedly a point ahead of others with the announcement and early preparations
While the ruling BJP has already begun its preparations, the regional parties of MGP, Goa Forward need to pull up their sleeves and start work for 2022.