Cong once again proved in civic polls; it's a 'party of individuals'
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 27 October 2015 23:29 IST
Congress continues to be the party of individuals and not an organisation, the municipal elections have proved it once again.
Out of 11, the Congress managed to win 3 municipalities, simply because the local MLAs worked, not the party organisation.
Congress will now form councils in Valpoi, Margao and Quepem.
Few former Congress MLAs tried their luck in their respective constituencies, but they could not succeed.
In fact former chief minister and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat had to face defeat in some of his stronghold wards, a major setback to the party indeed.
He could win only six seats out of 11, a wafer-thin majority, compared to independent MLA Vijai Sardesai, who swept the Fatorda poll (part of Margao municipality) by winning all 11 seats.
Valpoi MLA Vishwajeet Rane also swept the poll by winning 77% seats, but preferred to give its credit to his father Pratapsing rather than the Congress.
Babu Kavalekar also won the Quepem civic poll, but entirely in his own capacity, without any party support.
In fact spokespersons of the Congress felt proud to repeatedly say in TV debates today that they had not officially participated in municipal elections.
Joaquim Alemao, former urban development minister, tried to make a headway in Cuncolim, but could not manage to win more than 4 seats in a 12-seat municipality.
John Monteiro, another Congress office bearer, fielded his own candidates against Alemao, but all 6 jumped the bandwagon to join the BJP rather than joining hands with Alemao’s 4, to form the Congress council.
In fact Cuncolim proved that individual identity is more important for the Congressmen than the party loyalty, even at the cost of losing the council.
Isidore Fernandes, former minister from Canacona, campaigned for some candidates, but could not win a single seat.
Even Jitendra Deshprabhu in Pedne could not succeed despite joining hands with his life-time rival cousin Vasudev Deshprabhu, who lost both the seats.
Comparatively, Congressmen in Mormugao worked together, like Sankalp Amonkar, Sharad Chopdekar and Saifulla Khan – he won – but others did not succeed.
The real colour of so called loyal Congressmen however could be seen in Dabolim, where Congress MLA Mauvin Godinho openly joined hands with the BJP.
But he could manage only one seat out of three, as perhaps voters have shown place to the party rebel when the next Assembly election is hardly two years away.
What would be the fate of this ‘party of individuals’, which ruled the state since 1980 and claimed to be an ocean, needs to be seen when the Assembly poll comes in 2017.
Party of ocean scavengers