GVP-UGDP: Advantage BJP

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It would definitely benefit the BJP if GVP embraces influential Congress rebels and if sizeable number of voters rally behind them. Not otherwise.

The alliance of Mickky Pacheco’s new outfit Goa Vikas Party and Mickky Pacheco’s erstwhile party the United Goans Democratic Party is neither a surprise nor a major jolt that would change any political equations. The intention behind contesting 36 seats is also not to win election, but to damage the Congress.

Earlier, the UGDP alone used to be on mission damage, with the help of one or two winnable but rejected Congressmen. This party has always been used by blackmailers in the Congress, like Churchill Alemao, Babush Monseratte, Monte Cruz or Mickky Pacheco. They have financed this party while unhesitantly walking out of it to join the Congress, after getting elected.

And its leadership, especially the lawyer duo Anacleto Viegas and Radharao Gracias, has embraced the same ‘detractors’ once again into their party as and when they ‘require’ it. The UGDP has neither principles nor any local standi among the electorate. The only exceptions were Gracias and Matanhy Saldhana, both party loyalists otherwise, getting elected from Loutolim and Cortalim respectively, but only for one term each.

The reason why Mickky did not join the UGDP but hijacked another party – the Goa Vikas Party – is simple. People like Anacleto do not want to give reins of the party organization into the hands of any politician. They are as unreliable as much reliable they are. But Mickky wanted the party in his hands. That’s why he preferred the GVP. His ‘wife’ Viola is now the GVP chief and  his close confident Lyndon Monteiro the general secretary.

The UGDP, by tying up with Mickky, has however now pushed Matanhy to corner. The only three seats allotted to the UGDP – Navelim, Velim and Cuncolim – does not include Cortalim, which he represented for one term. Mickky wants to field ZP member Nelly Rodrigues from Cortalim. Matanhy, a strong Congress opponent, has now no other option than either joining the BJP or contesting independent, in case he wants to remain in the fray. BJP would happily embrace him since their marriage, while in power, has never been sour.

How much the tie up would affect the Congress however depends upon who would be their candidates and how credible they are. Though the tie up could hardly win any seat except the possibility of bigwigs like Mickky, it could damage prospects of few Congressmen like in Fatorda or Cuncolim, especially in Salcete. But no other constituency of Salcete it could affect the Congress since the BJP has no strong following there.  In rest of Goa, it would definitely benefit the BJP if GVP embraces influential Congress rebels and if sizeable number of voters rally behind them. Not otherwise.

In a nutshell, the alliance could be only advantage BJP. It has nothing to do with regional aspirations and the blah blah. Mickky and Anacleto may well say that the regional alliance is aimed at opposing all the national parties like the Congress and the BJP. In reality, it is advantage the national party – the BJP!