After winning elections on an anti-BJP plank, Vijai stunned voters by alliancing with BJP. Now he is out looking for ‘like-minded’ in the deserted Congress camp
Deepak Laad
Nation’s GDP growth rate tanking to 4.5%, six out of eight core industries’ growth indices taking a tumble, industrial production index plunging below zero is an indicator of the absence of serious governance in the nation. Time is wasted in the states, first in election campaigning and then in wheeling and dealing for government formations and pulling down rival governments.
“Forming government these days is full of uncertainties like the game of cricket. You have to wait till the last ball is bowled.” This nugget of political wisdom came straight from Union Minister Nitin Gadkari as the tug of war for power was raging on in Maharashtra.
The era of ethics and scruples in public life and politics is long over. After he was denied Chief Ministership by pre poll alliance partner BJP, Uddhav Thackeray had no qualms in dumping Narendra Modi, whom he called his elder brother, and latch on to a brand new opportunistic brotherhood with Sharad Pawar, his bête noire till the other day now turned into benefactor who could fulfill his long-cherished dream to become Chief Minister.
On the opposite side, in a similar incident Ajit Pawar, the nephew Sharad Pawar had groomed in politics, bolted from his camp in a midnight coup to become deputy to Devendra Fadnavis. The coup though short lived, went to prove that in politics blood is not always thicker than water.
Uddhav was also seen singing paeans to Sonia Gandhi for her support, who had so far been a constant muse and fodder for disapproving editorial in Shiv Sena mouth piece- Samna.
‘A person becomes mad after he becomes MLA,’ observes our Governor Satyapal Malik.
It would be truer to say, “An MLA becomes mad after he loses his ministerial position and power.” A politician without power is like a fish out of water fluttering and gasping for oxygen. That describes the state of mind of Vijai Sardesai these days. He recently attended the oath taking ceremony of Thackeray and returned home mighty impressed by the unconscionable, depraved, “Maharashtra model” and seems all fired up and eager to do a “Uddhav Thackeray” in Goa.
Now suddenly Vijai finds the present CM weak and hence feels the need to bring him down. Pray in what respect was Manohar Parrikar, in whose ministry he served, any stronger? Parrikar’s ministry could be aptly described a ‘postponing ministry’ that kept postponing important decisions, failed to deliver on promises and was infamous for its U-turns.
After coming to power in 2012, there was no need for Parrikar to rush in haste to stop mining operations, unilaterally. In his second term Parrikar kept on giving assurances to take up the festering mining issue with the center and come out with some favorable kind of resolution for the longtime sufferers in that sector. Sadly, it was not resolved during his lifetime.
Repeated deadlines were announced to shift the floating casinos out of Mandovi, but the Government could not move them an inch from their anchored locations. We were simply left ‘Imagining Panaji’ as a smart city. He buckled under pressure and issued a letter to Yeddyurappa indicating willingness to release drinking water to Karnataka. Now in power, an emboldened Yeddy is all set to take away much more than what ‘that letter’ had promised. Wasn’t all this full of weaknesses? And what strength did Vijai himself display as a minister then?
Vijai, whose Goa Forward party(GFP) won the elections on an anti-BJP plank left voters stunned when he got into an alliance with the very Parrikar whom he earlier accused of selling Goa to outsiders.
Now Vijai is out looking for ‘like minded’ in the deserted looking Congress stable to stitch up an alliance. The Congress President and spokesperson have already refused any possible alliance with him taking the wind out of his sails.
Presently, it is difficult to dislodge the ruling 27 MLA strong BJP from power. Though there are talks of the presence of disgruntled elements in the state BJP, the chances of a large group- enough to avoid disqualification under anti-defection law- leaving are remote.
Our Goan Don Quixote met with his Sancho Panza in Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut who assured him that his strategy can cause an earthquake in the political landscape of Goa.
The earthquake in Maharashtra’s political scenario was the handiwork of indomitable Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar. Any lesser mortal trying such an upheaval would have faced the heat from a slew of investigative and enforcement Agencies. Sanjay Raut is unjustly taking credit for it. Shiv Sena has neither a single legislator nor any standing in Goa and Raut- a non entity here - can’t even dream of causing a slightest
tremor.
All along GFP has been positioning itself as a regional party of Goans, trumpeting their coinage - Goemkarponn. A sizable number of Christian electorate is GFP supporter. So how the hobnobbing with the Hindutva forces from Maharashtra will fit in this structure?
What happens to the party’s claim to the legacy of Jack de Sequeira, the father of the Opinion poll that guaranteed us statehood? Will GFP now root for installing Balasaheb Thakeray’s statues in the state?
Let’s only hope that GFP’s two MLAs do not follow in the footstep of two MGP MLAs and leave Vijai suffering the same fate as MGP’s Dhavalikars.
