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Better late than never: Goa's regional parties come closer

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panjim

Goa's three regional parties, marginalised in the recently held assembly election, are seriously thinking about creating a common platform.

"People have chosen corruption and communalism and we have to fight it," says Dr Wilfred de Souza, leader of the Goa Rajiv Congress, hinting at the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, the two parties that emerged tops.

De Souza's earlier effort to form a regional front to fight the election had proved futile.

For that, he blames the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, whose tally came down from 12 to just four seats this time. The MGP showed no interest in de Souza's front because it was trying to forge an alliance with the BJP till the last minute.

Both the GRC and the United Goans Democratic Party are now left with two members each in the legislative assembly.

The Congress won 21 seats by securing 39 per cent of the votes and the BJP got 10 seats with 26 per cent.

On the face of it, a regional front stood a good chance of creating an impact. But in reality Goans seem to prefer national parties to regional ones.

During discussions between the three groups, one idea that has come up is to merge all three outfits with the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar, keeping in mind the forthcoming Lok Sabha election.

The prime reason for the idea, however, appears to be the financial bankruptcy these parties face.

Admitting that regional parties are not looked upon as a viable alternative either by the anti-Congress or the anti-BJP voter, Radharao Gracias, UGDP vice-president, is vociferously promoting this idea. The alternative is to affiliate the regional front to the NCP.

The most confused of the three parties, however, is the MGP, whose cadres are divided on the proposal to merge Goa's oldest regional outfit, which ruled the state for 17 years after Liberation, with the Congress or the BJP.

"We have to admit that our main plank has always been the Hindu vote, which was partially taken away by the Congress earlier and now the BJP. On the other hand, the party was founded by Congress leaders from Maharashtra soon after Liberation," says former Union minister Ramakant Khalap, who has staged a comeback in state politics.

While formal confabulations are yet to begin, legislators of the three parties have come together to take a common stand --- to render "positive support" to the Congress government.

This, of course, has come as a blessing for Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro, especially since it has helped him to deal with disgruntled elements in his own party.

Many of those who thought they would not get ministerial berths were planning to split and join hands with the Opposition to form an alternative coalition government even before the assembly was even formally constituted.

Three of them were, however, accommodated in the six-member Cabinet while a fourth has been allotted the speaker's post.

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