BJP weighed down by Godhra cross in Goa

‘‘We do not have the required numbers and will therefore sit in the opposition,’’ Pratapsingh Rane said. The party is now expected to bide its time before making a move to dislodge Parrikar’s government. AICC General Secretary Oscar Fernandes indicated this today. ‘‘Since the regional parties have decided to support the BJP, we for the time being will not stake our claim,’’ he said ominously.

The BJP’s good showing is being attributed to three factors: the performance of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and his clean image; his popularity with government employees because he did not interfere in their functioning; and the Hindu consolidation behind the BJP.

Ironically, Gujarat went against Parrikar. Had Godhra and its aftermath not happened, Parrikar would have swept the polls. For the Catholic Church had not been opposed to him. The CM had not done anything in the 17 months of his rule to needle the Church. In fact, when he took the decision to light up the temples in the state, he did the same thing for the churches.

Initially, the Church had asked the people to vote against all those candidates who were defectors, corrupt or communal. This would have
gone against Congress because a large number of senior leaders either joined the Congress or rejoined it just before the polls, like Ravi Naik and Franciso Sardinho. But after Gujarat and in the final stages of the campaign, the Church threw its weight fully behind the campaign to get secular candidates elected. The parish priests reportedly went out to campaign and used the events in Gujarat to motivate the community to come out in large numbers and vote.

But for the Church’s stance, the Congress would have much poorer, sources in the Congress admitted. Two of the 16 of its candidates made it by the skin of their teeth, one winning by two votes and the other by 46 votes. The Congress, which had won 21 seats last time, frittered away the goodwill of the people because of defections and political instability. There were three governments in three years. The government of Louzine Faleiro fell when F Sardinho broke away with a group and joined hands with the BJP to form a government.

The NCP, which won one seat, also cut into the votes of the Catholics, thereby damaging the Congress. The party failed to strike an alliance with Sharad Pawar’s group and it could not rope in national leaders who could speak Marathi and Konkani. Last time Madhav Rao Scindia had overseen the election in Goa but this time Ramesh Chennithala was left holding the baby. Congress sources said that with so many former chief ministers in the fray, senior party leaders in the state had worked to sabotage each other’s chances.

The new government will be administered the oath of office by the Governor tomorrow. The BJP paraded Parrikar and the five legislators who have decided to back the party before the Governor today. One legislator from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party-United Goans Democratic Party combine, Matanhy Saldanha, did not appear to go along with the other four. Efforts are on to persuade him to join the government, sources said.