Benaulim Assembly Constituency Election 2017 Pot-boiler -- By Nisser Dias

Undoubtedly Benaulim Assembly constituency election is going to be the pot-boiler among all the constituency segments of Salcete taluka. If during the last hustings it was an eight sided fight, the real battle of the ballot was between Congress’ Valanka Alemao and Goa Vikas Party’s (GVP) Caitan (Caitu) D’silva.

MLA Caitu D'silva

Though widely publicised Valanka was preparing for almost two years to contest from the constituency, Mickky Pacheco had propped up comparatively unknown name in the constituency which raised almost all the eyebrows.

If Valanka had the backing of her father Churchill Alemao then PWD minister, finances and government machinery, Caitu was a non-entity with just personal finances he had earned as an assistant oil rig driller. Secondly Caitu had earlier contested panchayat election and lost.

In the end the constituents voted decisively to give a winning margin of 2001 votes to Caitu D’silva.

This time round it is going to be even more interesting as many political bigwigs are preparing for the electoral carnival due early next year. There is the sitting MLA Caitu D’silva, all time veteran Churchill Alemao, his supporter turned rival and Zilla Parishad member Maria Rebello, former sarpanches of Varca and Cavelossim – Anthony (Tony) Pinto and Edwin Baretto respectively. Besides there is Aam Admi Party, Goa Vikas Party (GVP) and Goa Forward scouting for candidates not forgetting BJP who will field a candidate even though they do not have much presence in the constituency.

During the last general election in 2012, the sitting MLA had romped home with a winning margin of 2001against his closest rival Valanka Alemao.

At that time there was discontentment against the Congress for mis-governance and allegation of corruption. To add fire to fuel in the Congress bastion of Salcete the grand old party Congress allotted three party tickets to the Alemao clan, moreover Valanka was seen as brutish by the voters. The end result was that people ensured that all the 4 Alemaos’ (Joaquim Alemao’s son Yuri had contested on NCP ticket) bit the dust.

Goa Vikas Party decided to embrace BJP government. Initially the honeymoon period went fine but when BJP government did a U-turn on issues like MoI, airport at Mopa, shifting of the Navy from Dabolim voters wanted the MLAs to withdraw support to the government but it did not happen, peoples trust in GVP developed cracks and support base started waning. To add to that there were constant skirmishes between GVP chief Mickky Pacheco and Caitu. Secondly, Benaulim MLA has not been able to go beyond his coterie of supporters and create a mass base.

Caitu says, “as of now I will contest as an independent if Congress offers a party ticket I will not refuse it, but I will not ask for it”. Asked whether he will ask for BJP’s backing, “I will not ask and don’t want BJP support”. When asked whether he is being fielded by BJP to break the Christian votes, “BJP cannot win this seat as their supporters are few, in fact it is Churchill Alemao who is breaking the Christians votes”.

Churchill Alemao has his die-hard following in the constituency but over the years his mass base has eroded substantially. For example his confidante ZP member Maria Rebello has thrown her hat in the ring and is bound to dig into Churchill’s vote-share. Churchill says, “If Congress allots me the ticket I will contest on the party platform otherwise independent”. Asked whom he sees as his closest rival, “I do not have any rivals”. Undoubtedly he had mentored Maria political career, when confronted, “anybody can contest elections there are no friends or enemies in politics”. When asked till what age should politicians to contest, “as long as they have strength to campaign”. The former chief minister of 19 days after losing 2012 elections in Navelim had tried his luck at Parliamentary election in 2014 under Trinamool Congress banner there too he had failed miserably.

Maria Rebello is the underdog of this constituency, being ZP chairperson earlier and now a member she is in touch with her voters. Besides she knows most of her mentor’s supporters and well wishers. Secondly coming from the Brahmin background, there is sizeable voters of this community and most of them from Benaulim village itself. Knowning that she is good candidate regional political outfits are wooing her. GVP chief Mickky Pacheco says, “my candidate in Benaulim is Maria Rebello”. However Maria says, “I have not decided, these parties have approached me but I have not committed to any”. However sources close to her say that her preference was AAP, but as things have not materialized for her there she has shown interest in Goa Forward. Vijay Sardessai is playing his cards close to the chest, “as of now we do not have a candidate in Benaulim”, he says.

 Vijay Sardessai
Goa Forward Chief

The real politicking is happening in the Congress as usual. Caitu is hopeful of being asked to contest on their platform, Churchill has put in his demand for the party ticket. Three times elected as Varca panch and two times sarpanch Anthony (Tony) Pinto has urged the grand old party to give him an opportunity this time and Congress own loyal soldier, its block president and former sarpanch of Cavelossim Edwin Baretto is also vying to be nominated by his party.

Anthony Pinto because of the work he had done in Varca claims that people are demanding that he throws his hat in the ring. Without a shade of doubt he is well known in the constituency and beyond because of his catering business. Some months back he did approach the GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro and was told to discuss the matter with Edwin and both of them should decide who should get the ticket. Pinto said, “I will speak to Edwin to give me an opportunity as I have a broad base support”. “I have not yet decided to contest independently.” However deep inside Congress circles rumours are making the rounds that Pinto is a BJP man given his closeness to Manohar Parrikar.

Edwin says, “the party should nominate me as I have been its loyal foot soldier for 25 years”. When asked what are his chances of winning the seat in a situation where Congress votebank has dropped drastically, where there is trust deficit within the party, when the old generation is still ruling the roost and in constant conflict with the young turks, Edwin said, “party should realize young faces should be promoted if they want acceptance among the people”.

Now the dark horse among the entire political scenario is Aam Admi Party, there is a tremendous whisper campaign that is going on in support of the party even though nobody knows who the candidate is. Even some of the probable candidates mentioned above are vary of AAP. Two of them said wherever you go voters are talking of AAP that they are an alternative from the same old faces. AAP convenor Rajeshree Nagashekar says, “we have not yet nominated any candidate for Benaulim constituency even though we are in the fray.” “AAP has adopted a peculiar system wherein our supporters and sympathisers choose their candidates”.

In these circumstances the picture that is evolving is that the voters are disenchanted with both the national parties as of now as they do have anything different  to show, while the regional outfits and AAP are trying to infuse young blood in the system there is hope of freshness.