PANAJI: As the 2022 assembly polls approach, ticket aspirants and political fronts have started wooing voters with gifts and freebies. Across the state voters are being offered everything from sound systems and aadolis (a traditional kitchen cutter-cum-grater) to harvester machines and umbrellas.
While the two principal national parties — BJP and Congress — are battling for pride and redemption, their relatively younger rivals are out to upset the apple cart. Political observers say that as parties finalise their candidates closer to the election dates in February, the voter will be spoiled for choice — of gifts.
With several aspiring politicos vying for votes in Cumbharjua, the local women have had a field day getting goodies such as sarees, aadolis, a free ambulance service, and health check-ups.
In almost every constituency, the local MLAs have reached out to farmers during the on-going harvesting season and offered to pay the farmer’s share of fees for the harvester machines. Traditionally, the government pays half of the rent for the machines and the farmers have to pay the remaining half of the money.
The Dussehra festive season also gave the ruling side and the aspirants a chance to dust off their dancing shoes and open their wallets a bit more. Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo and many others were seen trying their hands at dandiya, garba and dindi.
While deputy chief minister Chandrakant Kavlekar organised dandiya classes at Shantadurga Fatarpekarin Devasthan Hall, Quepem, Lobo has organised an Aakash Kandil competition in his constituency.
“This is all a joke. It’s so funny how everyone started working just before the election,” said Marlon Pereira, a netizen, after watching the efforts being put in.
In St Andre, Goa Forward Party’s Jagdish Bhobe distributed umbrellas to local fruit and vegetable vendors, while Congressman Alton D’costa, who hopes to dethrone Kavlekar, sponsored athletes from Quepem who are representing Goa in the Grappling Wrestling Championship in Delhi.
While such freebies are welcomed by everyone, it may not always go as per plan. Such largesse will always have critics. In their enthusiasm to endear themselves to voters, aspirants from the same party and constituency are now jostling and clashing, as witnessed in Siolim where Lobo and former BJP MLA Dayanand Mandrekar crossed swords to inaugurate harvesting machines. Mandrekar, a three-time MLA and former minister is keen on reprising his role as the local MLA of Siolim, a position that his Calangute neighbour’s wife Delilah covets.
While political pundits agree that politics makes strange bedfellows it did not stop them from being surprised when Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao held a beach cleanliness drive in his constituency. And no, Alemao did not show up for the drive.
