Is the BJP heading for ‘hidden' grand alliance?
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 01 December 2015 17:07 IST
Grand Alliance proposed by independent MLA Vijai Sardesai, to defeat the ruling BJP, is the talk of the town. But is it the saffron brigade actually planning for a ‘hidden alliance’ for Assembly 2017?
This is what Girish Chodankar, the Goa-based All India Congress Committee Secretary, feels strongly.
According to him, the idea of grand alliance mooted by Sardesai is the brain-child of Manohar Parrikar, the master strategist of the BJP.
“He is implementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Congress-Mukt Bharat’ (India free of Congress)’, states Chodankar.
He is back in Goa’s active politics after spending five years in the national capital as one of the close aides of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
With the BJP getting a bashing in every state election, he claims that Goa’s saffron brigade is scared that the Congress would stage a comeback.
“Why then the talk of grand alliance is discussed only in the media and not with the Congress leaders”, asks Chodankar.
According to him, Sardesai-Parrikar combine is creating a ghost of grand alliance, which obviously they are not interested in.
He claims that the regional party would actually be a dummy party, with a sole intention to misguide the non-BJP voters and take them away from the Congress.
‘MICKKY WILL BE UNOFFICIAL PARTNER’
And this is not enough, claims Chodankar.
While the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party would continue to be the official partner of the BJP in 2017 Assembly election, Mickky Pacheco’s Goa Vikas Party – presently supporting the government – would be the unofficial partner.
“Mickky has announced fielding candidates in all the 40 constituencies. Except in his stronghold areas like Salcete, the rest of the candidates would be supplied to him by the BJP”, predicts Chodankar.
‘BABUSH MAY FALL IN TRAP’
He also wonders what role Babush Monseratte would play in Tiswadi taluka.
“The BJP may also use Babush to split the Congress votes. He should be wise enough to understand this and not fall into the trap”, he says.
The Congress has already expelled Babush from the party, thus he today sits as an unattached member in the Goa Assembly.
‘BBSM ACTIVATED TO POLARISE’
Without naming anybody in particular, Chodankar alleges that many BJP legislators have started becoming restless with a fear of losing, thus have started secret talks with other parties.
In order to try and stop the anti-BJP wave, alleges Chodankar, the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch has also been activated by the Hindutwa camp.
“They have been systematically giving communal colour to the issue of Medium of Instruction in order to polarise the Hindu votes”, says Chodankar by pointing out at communal statements of the BBSM.
The BBSM, who is launching state-wide agitation from 19 December, recently appealed to the BJP government to concentrate only on Hindu votes by cancelling government grants to the Church-run English primary schools, rather than simply running behind the minorities.
While Congress leaders including Digvijay Singh and Luizinho Faleiro dismissed the offer of alliance with Sardesai-sponsored to-be-launched regional party, Chodankar yesterday welcomed the alliance proposal.
“But whom do we align with? All these small groups are actually fronts of the BJP”, observes Chodankar.
According to him, he is not at all contradicting his party leaders on the alliance issue.
“They dismiss the offer while I say fine, but asking with whom to have alliance. That is the only difference. What all of us mean is the same”, he clarifies.
Congress must realise that ground realities have changed since 2012. It must be ready to have seat adjustments with some independent MLAs and even other small parties like the AAP. The need if the hour is to defeat the corrupt and communal BJP. Congress cannot to it alone and the sooner Luizinho Faleiro realises this, the better.