Team Goemkarponn
Margao: The electoral outcomes in South Goa, particularly Salcete, during the Lok Sabha and Zilla Panchayat elections are a clear endorsement of grassroots strength rather than imported leadership or opportunistic political strategy, political analyst Vishal Pai Cacode has said.
In a detailed analysis, Cacode asserted that the Congress’ success in Salcete was the result of years of sustained organisational work, door-to-door campaigning, ideological consistency and personal credibility built by committed party workers. “These victories were not negotiated in drawing rooms or engineered through shortcuts. They were earned on the ground by loyal Congress cadres,” he said.
Refuting post-election claims by certain leaders projecting themselves as “architects of victory”, Cacode said such narratives insult grassroots workers who remained steadfast when it was easier to defect or compromise. He pointed out that during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress candidate Capt. Viriato Fernandes secured his highest leads from traditional Congress strongholds driven by local organisation—Benaulim (14,181), Nuvem (13,688), Velim (13,350), Curtorim (9,188) and Navelim (5,770)—with Cuncolim registering the lowest lead at 5,548.
“These numbers are not accidental. They reflect disciplined organisational work, not individual brilliance or centralised strategy,” he said, adding that Fatorda, represented by the lone Goa Forward MLA, gave a comparatively modest lead of 2,437, while Margao saw Congress workers successfully restrict the BJP lead to just 1,323. Quepem, represented by a Congress MLA, delivered only a narrow lead of 784.
Cacode further noted that several constituencies where senior Congress leaders campaigned—such as Ponda, Shiroda, Madkai, Mormugao, Vasco, Dabolim, Sanvordem, Sanguem and Canacona—failed to show any electoral impact in favour of the Congress. Even in Curchorem, represented by the current Goa Congress president, the BJP retained a lead of 1,697. “These figures demolish the myth that Salcete’s success stemmed from individual leadership or tactical manoeuvring,” he said.
He also dismissed claims that the AAP or a so-called “united opposition” boosted Congress performance, stating that Zilla Panchayat results exposed these assertions. Congress won in Benaulim and Velim despite both being represented by AAP MLAs, while also overcoming direct challenges from the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) in constituencies like Nuvem, Velim and Benaulim.
According to Cacode, victories in Guirdolim, Navelim, Davorlim and Curtorim came even in the absence of RGP candidates, while Congress alliance partner Goa Forward Party also registered wins despite RGP’s presence in certain seats.
Criticising recent candidate selections, Cacode said branding the induction of political defectors as “strategy” reflected a flawed mindset. “Rewarding party hoppers while sidelining loyal workers is the first step towards the saffronisation of the Congress,” he warned, drawing from his four decades of association with the party.
He concluded that Salcete’s verdict sends a clear message: voters reward commitment and consistency, not convenience or opportunism. “Parties rarely collapse due to external attacks alone. They erode from within when loyalty is devalued and ideology is compromised in the name of strategy,” Cacode said.
