PANAJI
Goa's political parties and their leaders will be kept on their toes as the State will plunge into election season with three major local body elections due to be held back to back over six months from December this year-end.
First up will be the Zilla Panchayat elections in both the districts which government sources said will in all likelihood be held in December. It is the only local-body election which is held on party lines with candidates permitted to contest on mainstream political party symbols.
Also, the election gains significance as several of the ZP seats are almost identical to some assembly constituencies and local satraps view it as a semi-final to the general assembly elections due in 2027.
Within three months of the ZP polls in December, elections will be due in March to the capital city's civic body -- The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP).
With 30 wards to be contested, the CCP polls could have a bearing on two assembly constituencies -- Panaji and Taleigao -- even if they are not fought on party lines.
These elections could be a crucial test of strength for the Monserrate clan which now has added another contender to the husband-wife legislator duo of Atanasio-Jennifer in son Rohit who is currently the CCP mayor.
In less than two months thence, elections will also be due to eleven municipalities in May 2026, which again could be crucial tests for some local satraps ahead of the mega electoral test in 2027 -- assembly elections.
Goa's mainstream political parties meanwhile have begun intensive drawing room politicking and strategizing ahead of these three polls.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) have all begun their groundwork to face these elections.
The BJP, as usual, was the first off the block having oiled its organisational machine by holding internal elections which led to the election of the new State party chief, Damodar alias Damu Naik.
The Congress and the AAP, too have got into the groundwork and have been sparring over the question of forging an alliance or not.
The RGP on the other hand came out of its self-imposed hibernation after their Lok Sabha drubbing and are gradually picking up pace with ground-level politics.
