A seven kilogram lighter-in-weight, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who was rushed to State politics from South block in March this year, will seek his sixth term as Panaji MlA, when the constituency goes to bypoll on Wednesday, along with Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, who joined the BJP, after resigning from the Congress earlier this year to necessitate the bypoll in Valpoi.
While both BJP leaders appear to be top-seeded in the twin bypolls in the coastal States, Parrikar, who on Sunday claimed to have achieved a perfect body mass index (BMI) at 75 kg, by shedding seven kilograms from his “overweight” 82 kg, appears to be putting in more than his his normal self while campaigning for the bypoll.
“When I went to Delhi I was about 82 kg, which was about eight kgs overweight. Today I am about 75 which is perfect for my height. No one should worry,” he said.
While Parrikar’s earlier poll campaigns were marked with door-to-door visits and an easy camaraderie with voters, relying on his unique guy-next-door approach, an impressive campaign barrage by his key opponent Girish Chodankar of the Congress, who appears to have used the ‘David versus Goliath’ card to good effect, appears to be driving a sense of desperation in the BJP camp.
While the entire ruling coalition Cabinet has been campaigning in the State capital rooting for Parrikar, along with the Chief Minister’s two sons — who previously had kept away from the mainstream political space — Chodankar, a son of a former vegetable vendor has scoured the city’s narrow alleys, posh residential colonies and swaths of slum in order to pitch his credentials and blame Parrikar’s legislatorship over two decades.
The Congress candidate seems to be trying to drive home the point, that the city’s basic essential needs have not been met.
“Panaji is just like it was several years back, but the problems have increased. Parrikar despite being Chief Minister and leader of Opposition, both influential positions, has done nothing for the place and its people. Instead he has been friends with the casino, mining and other anti-people lobbies. Which is why I believe that the voters of Panaji will seek change,” Chodankar told The Pioneer.
Parrikar, meanwhile, who has refrained from mentioning Girish Chodankar by name during his campaign, claims that the Congress will be routed and for him, it was only the extent of the margin which matters.
“I am more than confident of winning. But the only question is that of the margin. I expect the people of Panaji will vote for a good future for Panaji,” said Parrikar, who has been battling critique on social media as well as a fake news campaign, which targetted him for his ‘U-Turns’ on policy issues like removing casinos from the Mandovi river, reducing corruption, bringing those accused in the Rs 35,000 crore illegal mining scam to book.
The dramatic running aground of a new casino vessel on the Miramar beach in the Panaji constituency a few weeks before the polls, is also a new optic, which the Opposition has tried to exploit.
But Parrikar claims that voters of Panaji are not concerned much about issues related to the continued presence of casinos and the beef ban.
“Only you seem to be concerned,” Parrikar told reporters earlier this week, when he was asked whether the people of Panaji were worried about the increasing number of casinos operating in the state.
The third significant candidate for the Panaji by-poll Anand Shirodkar of the Goa Suraksha Manch, a party which is mentored by former state Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Subhash Velingkar. Shirodkar’s Hindu conservative appeal could mar Parrikar’s hope for a smooth sailing in the polls, with the Manch’s potential to eat into the BJP vote bank.
Parrikar’s ace-in-the-hole could well be former education minister and ex tainted MlA Atanasion Monserrate, whose sphere of influence in the state capital, despite being a former legislator from the adjoining Taleigao assembly constituency, is likely to define the winner in the August 23 polls.
Monserrate, who joined Goa Forward, a ruling alliance party a few weeks ago has hesitantly announced his support to Parrikar, but his sketchy political credentials — Monserrate has swapped political parties as many as six times over the last decade and more — may well have given the BJP camp sleepless nights.
“He has come through for us in the past. But there have been times where Monserrate has reneged promises. If he swings in our favour, we will win with a record margin,” a senior BJP leaders told The Pioneer on condition of anonymity.
Monserrate has also been embroiled in several criminal cases where he has been booked for extortion, rape of a minor gir,etc.
“I always tow the party line. In fact, I had issued clear instructions to my workers to extend their support to Manohar Parrikar,” Monserrate said.
In the Valpoi by-election too Rane, son of former chief minister Pratapsingh Rane hold the edge in the contest against Roy, son of Congress MlA and former chief minister Ravi Naik.
“This is a no-contest. With my quitting the Congress, that party has no presence in Valpoi,” Rane said.
Roy however says that he is a fresh face in Valpoi and he hoped that the voters in the north-eastern constituency will punish Rane for betraying the Congress party. “The people have seen what a turncoat he is. They will ensure defeat for his betray of the Congress,” he said.