Vijay as CM, who needs coal? He’ll do the job quicker --By Nisser Dias

Dangerous than coal

Ah, election season in Goa is on the horizon — our very own carnival of promises, slogans, and lofty declarations designed to dazzle voters into submission. Every politician suddenly becomes a saint, every party swears undying love for Goa, and everyone is apparently one election away from saving the state. Enter stage left: Vijay Sardessai, supremo of the Goa Forward Party, armed with his latest Oscar-worthy line — “If I become the Chief Minister, coal transport in Goa will be stopped completely.”

Cue the collective eye-roll of an entire state.

Because let’s face it: if Vijay Sardessai ever became Chief Minister, Goa wouldn’t need coal to destroy it — he’d manage that job just fine on his own.

This is a man who wraps himself in the rhetoric of “love for Goa” while his actual track record screams “love for wealth.” Remember the Fatorda mansion plonked on agricultural land? Built right on a bundh, because who needs farming when you can have prime real estate instead? Or the Quepem hill razed to dust for his shiny resort project? Forget saving Goa — this is Sardessai’s personal brand of eco-friendly destruction: bulldoze first, justify later.

Of course, he’ll tell you everything is “legal,” with all the “right” permissions. But let’s not kid ourselves. When arm-twisting and backroom deals are his standard operating procedure, paperwork is just a formality.

And now, this man wants you to believe he’ll take on coal giants like Adani and Jindal? Please. If given the CM’s chair, he’d probably double the coal traffic, roll out the red carpet, and hand them the keys to the Mandovi.

Remember, late Manohar Parrikar, promised to stop Casinos in 100 days, instead doubled it.

But Sardessai’s hypocrisy doesn’t stop at coal. Let’s not forget his glory days as Town and Country Planning Minister, where he treated citizens like unwelcome guests in

their own state. Bouncers at public meetings, land deals with Delhi big shots, and that unforgettable Curtorim transaction—because why just lead Goa when you can sell it off piece by piece?

Even the former Chief Minister late Dr. Wilfred D’Souza allegedly saw through him: “This man will sell Goa if he becomes Chief Minister.” But here we are, still watching Vijay rehearse his CM acceptance speech in the mirror every morning.

For a man born in Argentina but politically “reborn” in Goa, Sardessai has turned politics into his personal goldmine. It’s not governance; it’s a business model. And business, as they say, is booming — for him, not for Goa.

So, let’s be crystal clear: Vijay Sardessai doesn’t deserve to be Chief Minister — not now, not ever. Goa cannot afford his brand of opportunism masquerading as leadership. If there’s one favour we owe ourselves and Mother Goa, it’s this: keep Vijay Sardessai as far away from the CM’s chair as humanly possible.

Because the only thing more dangerous than coal in Goa… is Vijay Sardessai in power.