The BJP leadership, which was present in strength at the installation of South Goa district president Prabhakar Gaonkar, seemed to run out of ideas to build the party brand in minority strongholds of Nuvem, Velim and Benaulim.
Photo Credits: The Goan
MARGAO
Nuvem, Benaulim and Velim in minority-dominated Salcete, which strongly rallied behind the Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, giving unassailable leads for Captain Viriato Fernandes’ victory in the hustings, have come back to haunt the saffron brigade again – this time over the BJP’s membership enrolment drive.
While the BJP rank and file across the State have been involved in a hectic membership activity, right from electing booth committees and block mandals, similar action was lacking in the minority-dominated constituencies of Nuvem, Benaulim and Velim.
In fact, the party leadership has been left with no option but to nominate the Mandal Presidents to head these three seats, indicating that the party is yet to recover ground and build the party organisation in these Christian-dominated seats, let alone nursing any hopes of winning elections.
The ground reality seems to have not gone down well with the party leadership. Outgoing party president, MP Sadanand Tanavade’s outbursts at Environment Minister, Aleixo Sequeira, who represents Nuvem constituency in the Goa Legislative Assembly, over the poor membership enrolment in the constituency, show the unease in the saffron camp.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, on the other hand, maintained his composure when the media asked him about Nuvem, Velim and Benaulim, saying the party would soon constitute the Mandals via nomination. CM Sawant, however, must certainly be disappointed over the ground reality. For, after the Lotus had bloomed in Navelim for the first time ever in the 2022 Assembly election, the CM had exuded confidence that the victory would pave the way for the BJP to make inroads in other minority-dominated seats in Salcete.
The situation brings back to the fore the same old question – whether Mission Salcete is an answer to woo the minority electorate towards the saffron brigade? Former BJP Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar had extended his hand of friendship to Saxttikars during his reign in an apparent bid to strike the right chord amongst the minorities, but the exercise had limited influence on the electorate. Incidentally, incumbent BJP Chief Minister Sawant has been consistent in his stand that the BJP will not undertake “Mission Salcete” in the minority-dominated taluka.
Says outgoing BJP State president Tanavade: “It is a fact that we could not constitute the Mandals of Velim, Nuvem and Benaulim in the membership enrolment drive. This could be because of a host of factors. The BJP did make inroads even in minority areas. But, we have to further build the confidence amongst the minorities in these segments. It is a collective effort of all concerned, including party organisation, ministers and MLAs, to build the party and gain the confidence of the minorities.”
BJP makes a big presence in five out of eight Salcete seats
The lukewarm response for the party’s membership enrolment in Nuvem, Benaulim and Velim notwithstanding, the BJP should be content with the party’s slow and steady rise in the remaining seats of Margao, Fatorda, Curtorim, Navelim and Cuncolim in the minority-dominated Salcete.
For, unlike the 80s and 90s, when BJP's presence was restricted to Margao and adjoining Fatorda, the party has now made its presence felt across Salcete. The Lotus bloomed in Navelim in the 2022 election and in Cuncolim around a decade ago in 2012, indicating that the party has grown to a position wherein it can win elections on its own.
Curtorim constituency is another segment that has come under the scanner of the saffron brigade. With a sizeable concentration of the BJP vote, the party is now in a position to wield influence, as evidenced by the tactical voting in the 2022 election, which paved the victory for Independent candidate Reginaldo Lourenco.
The BJP leadership must be hoping to capitalise on the return of Digambar Kamat back in the fold after 17 long years in Margao as well as in neighbouring Fatorda. For, the BJP has not won a single election in Margao since the time Kamat quit the Party to embrace the Congress in 2005.
