A SEARCH FOR ALLIES

AS THE GOA ASSEMBLY ELECTION DRAWS NEAR, POLITICAL PARTIES ARE EXPLORING POTENTIAL ALLIANCES

- Kiran D. Tare

THE GOA GOVERNMENT under chief minister Pramod Sawant has promised to provide 16,000 litres of free water every month to each household from September 1. While the water bill of almost 300,000 families is expected to go down to zero, the state government will lose a monthly revenue of Rs 11.5 crore. This is the first time ever that a government in Goa has announced freebies for its people, a clear reminder of the nearing assembly election.

Goa is due to elect a new government in February 2022 and all political parties in the state have begun the exercise of finding allies. While the BJP gauges the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party’s (MGP) willingness to join forces, all eyes are on a possible alliance between the Congress and the Goa Forward Party (GFP). The GFP seems willing, but the Congress, true to its nature, is stalling.

While GFP president Vijai Sardesai claims he was informed by Dinesh Gundu Rao, Congress in-charge for Goa, that the party high command has given its nod to the alliance, according to state president Girish Chodankar, party leaders are yet to receive any communication on this subject. Meanwhile, on August 16, an impatient Sardesai announced GFP candidates in four constituencies—Mandrem, Haldona, Saint Andre and Thivim. “The Congress should take a call on the alliance by Ganesh Chaturthi (September 10),” says Sardesai. Political observer Rajan Desai believes that a Congress-GFP front could dampen the BJP’s chances of returning to power after a 10-year rule. “If they fight together, the CongressGFP could damage the BJP extensively in south Goa where the minority voters are dominant,” says Desai.