Goa 2022: Wisdom dawns on the "New Dawn"

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The GFP and TMC are talking of alliances for their own political survival and to come out in 2022 with grace. This business is sold as the supposedly mega alliance of all to oust the BJP. 

With zero work at grassroots, IPAC driven TMC feels that anyone can pop in anytime and take control of democratic institutions and political leaders.  Recruit a battery of IIT, IIM and IT professionals, paint the entire state with hoardings, do political advertising on electric poles, do bombardment on print, electronic and social media of schemes without accountability, make gullible youth and women owners of non-encashable beneficiary cards and work to create a narrative to grab the political space.

This just cannot happen. It has not happened in any state. IPAC and TMC are startups in Goa. IPAC's proclaimed success was with political parties which already enjoyed sizeable vote share in respective states. What IPAC did was a top up using professional skills of communication, data analysis, negotiation and coordination.

The sudden brainwave from TMC Goa Chief Mohua Moitra of the possibility of an alliance with INC and GFP has no substance viewed in current context. First of all, INC has reasonably good candidates in most constituencies. They are capable to fight the BJP. The TMC has none except the poached former Congress politicians.

The INC has no vacancies to offer to TMC in an alliance. This sudden realisation of an alliance with INC is most probably to ward off the TMC new admits from turning hostile. There are reliable indications that serious politicians who have joined TMC lured by the offers and narratives of IPAC would perform well as independents rather than on TMC banner. The others who are with TMC are politically irrelevant. So, the outcomes are immaterial to them.

The suo moto opening up by Mohua Moitra is to soothe the ruffled new admits and take care of their internal fire. Any alliance between INC and TMC is an impossibility. After ridiculing the Congress party for last six months, this one sided expression of love cannot materialise into either a live-in relationship or culminate into a marriage.

If TMC cannot solve the 2022 election puzzle, they need to say quits. Their stay could cause minimal skirmishes in very handful of constituencies but nowhere a damage.  The initial perceived threat perception of TMC is no more. Finally, the TMC will score a duck  and Didi will lose the sheen.

But, the economy of Goa, particularly the hotel, hospitality and travel industry gained. Politically inclined got an additional platform to parade and dance. The topmost beneficiary was the former Congress politician  Luizinho Faleiro, a smooth entry to the Rajya Sabha on West Bengal quota. This is like a lifetime achievement award, though the politician lost the love of the Goans for playing the treacherous game. This loss of face and faith would be equally lifelong and beyond.

TMC and GFP  alliance could be a possibility despite the diatribe by GFP supremo against TMC. It looks that there is panic in Fatorda constituency and the GFP strongman does not get the comfort feeling. Every new day brings in the fresh stories of risk factors looming in the constituency.

None outside actually doubts the victory of Vijai Sardesai in Fatorda. It was a foregone conclusion much earlier. He deserves a win looking at his works in constituency and stint in assembly. But, it is possible that the supremo himself is feeling little unsure.  It is this reduced confidence that makes Vijai Sardesai to toss for even an alliance with TMC, thereby keeping IPAC at safe distance from Fatorda. But there is a catch. An alliance with TMC minus Congress would compound the problem.

To cap it all, both the GFP and TMC are talking of alliances for their own political survival and to come out in 2022 with grace. This business is sold as the supposedly mega alliance of all to oust the BJP. 

All the non-BJP parties should seriously note that people have already decided to reject the BJP. At the same time, if the political opposition makes a mockery of democracy and elections through alliances at their will and pleasure, the choices of electorate can swing. The negative and hara-kiri virus could hit the Congress which today is the principal opposition party in waiting if it succumbs to such offers.

In a game of cards, a joker is thrown which is available to all players to complete a sequence. In the current political situation, the parties volunteering for what they call as "mahaghatbandan" are such "jokers" (Pun intended).