Sandesh Prabhudesai
6 Jan 1998
It’s not a conducive atmosphere for both the non-Congress sitting
MPs here - union law minister Ramakant Khalap and strongman Churchill Alemao, though they
have to fight all the candidates defeated in the last Assembly elections in Goa.
More than a threat from the locally ruling Congress or the less
influential BJP, the rivalry between Khalap and Alemao, both belonging to the United
Front, may prove to be a death knell for these highly ambitious politicians, who head
separate regional outfits.
In the ’96 polls, Khalap won only by around 9000 votes against his
weak Congress rival in a triangular contest. But this time he has to struggle hard to
score over strong candidates of the ruling party as well as the BJP, besides Alemao’s
United Goans Democratic Party, who had supported him in last elections.
Incensed with Khalap sabotaging his plans in the UF to get the
ministerial berth allegedly with the help of Congress leader Sharad Pawar, Alemao is today
determined to defeat him, even at the cost of getting expelled from the front for
violating the guidelines not to contest against each other.
Sources however reveal that he has blessings of former prime minister
Deve Gowda to defeat the union law minister, because the vacillating politician
immediately shifted his allegiance to Gujral camp after Gowda’s fall.
But Khalap camp counters it, alleging that Alemao, heading a group of
11 independent MPs, was hobnobbing with the BJP to form the government, after Congress
recently withdrew its support to the Gujral government.
The strongman has fielded Khalap’s former colleague in the
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Babuso Gaonkar, belonging to the OBC community. Though the
UGDP admits that he is a weak candidate, it’s enough to split Khalap’s votes.
The regional wave, which had brought 57 per cent electorate to the
polling booth, has also died out in last 18 months while the law minister’s
non-performance in the North Goa constituency may turn the last time’s sympathy wave
into negative voting this time.
The BJP, which normally polls 16 to 17 per cent votes in Goa since
Babri Masjid-Ramjanmbhoomi issue is raked up, has also fielded Khalap’s former MGP
MLA, Pandurang Raut, belonging to his Maratha community.
Even the ruling Congress party has fielded Khalap’s another former
MGP colleague Ravi Naik, who then split to head the Congress government before he
miserably lost in ’94 polls. If this Bhandari community leader eats out MGP’s
Bhandari vote bank in the North, then no one can save the law minister from losing.
The only hope he once again has however is rebel Congress leader Dr
Wilfred de Souza, the deputy chef minister, who has already started flying white flag
while blaming chief minister Pratapsisng Rane for not protecting interest of Goans during
Congress rule.
It’s not a cake walk for Alemao too, who had swept the polls last
time by defeating five-time Congress MP and minister Eduardo Faleiro by over 25,000 votes,
while both the MGP and the BJP had lost its deposits. He has to now face Francisco
Sardinha, the former Congress minister, who is popular even after losing ’94 Assembly
polls against Alemao’s candidate.
The controversial MP has become very weak in Salcete, the main bastion
of Catholic vote bank, including his former Assembly constituency of Benaulim, due to his
brother-turned-MLA’s non-performance there. Even the schemes implemented through
MP’s funds may not give him an edge there over the ruling Congress.
His only hope, similar to Khalap, is the rebels within the ruling
party. Alemao’s close aides claim that at least two senior ministers and four MLAs
among 10 ruling party legislators are working for the UGDP supremo. The little
breakthrough he has made in the MGP bastions may also come to his rescue, provided Khalap
does not field a strong person in the South.
While Khalap and Alemao, both the UF members, have crossed swords
against each other, they may see Delhi again only if the infightings amongst the ruling
Congress party are manipulated skilfully. Otherwise, it may be once again Congress from
Goa.
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