Yes, the benefits are much more than what is being understood. After the BJP refused to grant a ticket to Manohar Parrikar’s son in 2019, and subsequently Babush Monseratte joining BJP within months, there has been simmering resentment amongst the party workers.
Even though the BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanawade and the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant may deny this, all is not well in the Panaji block.
The core BJP karyakartas are feeling betrayed as the non-BJP people have “infiltrated” the party and destroyed the ethic of the party.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
It has come as a shocker to one and all that the two former aides and close confidante’s of Panaji MLA Babush Monseratte – former mayors Uday Madkaikar and Tony Fernandes joining the Congress.
It’s come as a rude shock to Panaji and Taleigao voters as the two have always been loyal to Babush no matter what.
If one can recall the police station stoning incident in Panaji, Tony Fernandes was arrested and tortured by the police. He was hit so severely as he was bleeding from his head and got several bruises on his body. He had said several times he was ready to give his life for Babush. But now, looking at the development, one questions whether joining Congress is a betrayal or politics.
Uday and Tony have been made the Panaji Mayors for two terms each, and it is really difficult to digest that the two can betray Babush.
Consider this is a plan; what does Babush stand to achieve?
Yes, the benefits are much more than what is being understood. After the BJP refused to grant a ticket to Manohar Parrikar’s son in 2019, and subsequently Babush Monseratte joining BJP within months, there has been simmering resentment amongst the party workers.
Even though the BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanawade and the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant may deny this, all is not well in the Panaji block.
The core BJP karyakartas are feeling betrayed as the non-BJP people have “infiltrated” the party and destroyed the ethic of the party.
The core party leaders like Siddharth Kuncoliencar and Dattaprasad Naik are feeling like outsiders in their own party. Kuncolienacar was once a close confidante of Parrikar and was picked as Panaji MLA after the latter left for Delhi to become the Defence Minister of the country.
Now taking advantage of all these rumblings in the BJP, the opposition parties like the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have started making inroads in the constituency.
It is being said that the former Taleigao candidate of BJP, Dattaprasad Naik is on his way to AAP. However, there is no official confirmation of the same.
Babush has also seen that the core BJP workers did not work for him in the CCP polls, which concluded earlier this year. Also, Babush nominating his son Rohit MOnseratte has not gone well with Panjimites. Siddharth took a dig at Babush and his wife saying Panjimites do not want “Mummy-Daddy” politics.
In the backdrop of all this, a theory is being floated that Babush has asked Uday and Tony to join Congress and claim the party ticket.
Uday Madkaikar is a Panaji candidate of Congress. It would be a cakewalk for Babush as it will break the back of the age-old party, and Babush will retain his seat.
Similarly, in Taleigao, if Tony is a Congress candidate, it would be another huge win for Jennifer Monseratte.
However, all these predictions are based on hypothetical based on the rumours going around. But the theory of a strategic plan of Babush to push the two in Congress cannot be ruled out.