The carnival returns

Elsewhere rebel Congress leaders were threatening to make it smooth sailing for the BJP. The party even got the VHP and the RSS to pull out all the stops for a victory. Acharya Dharmendra, the firebrand VHP preacher, spent nine days in Goa to woo the Kshatriya Bhandari Samaj, the state8217;s largest caste grouping accounting for 45 per cent of the voters.

Incidentally, the Congress has been unable to sway the Christian community which accounts for about 30 per cent of the population. The church, which issues broad guidelines, has decided to keep quiet. In 2002, the church called the elections a fight against corruption which sealed the fate of the Congress in many seats. In some places, priests actively backed Manohar Parrikar for his clean image.

However, Parrikar8217;s decision to patronise hardcore RSS elements during his tenure caused the church to hit out at communalism in the last Lok Sabha polls. The BJP lost its seat in South Goa as a result. However the church is keeping quiet now since the Congress candidates are seen as both communal and corrupt.

FRIDAY8217;S judgment, however, has resulted in much jubilation among Congress leaders. Suddenly the BJP does not look much cleaner than the Congress. To add insult to injury, BJP MLA Rajendra Arlekar who was disqualified also happens to be its president.

But there are Congressmen who are opposing their own party candidates. Ravindra Kelekar, a well-known writer, says Congressman should vote BJP to cleanse the Congress.

Rebel Congress leader Nirmala Sawant, who was a loyal Congress leader for 40 years, quit to contest as an Independent to much cheer in her constituency Cumbarjua.

The BJP leaders say they are confident of support from the upper caste Saraswats. The community is upset that one of their own, Chief Minister Parrikar, was dethroned so unceremoniously.

HOWEVER, the verdict has thrown everyone8217;s calculations out of gear. Goa has had a history of major political turbulence. Fourteen chief ministers in 15 years with only Pratapsingh Rane of the Congress and Manohar Parrikar of the BJP surviving in office for years at a stretch. It was thought that the new anti-defection law would solve the problem since defecting MLAs would have to quit their seats. However in Goa, defecting MLAs chose to resign and contest afresh.

Last year, Parrikar got Isidore Fernandes of Poinguinium to quit the Congress and contest on a BJP ticket. Fernandes won but teamed up with four other BJP MLAs to topple Parrikar. He is now back in the Congress.

Though Goa has just 40 seats, several independents and small parties make it to the House. The present House has MLAs from the tiny Maharashtrawadi Gomantak party and the United Goans Democratic Party apart from a single NCP and an Independent MLA. The lone rangers usually call the shots since an absolute majority is hard to come by.

Depending on five MLAs for outside support Parrikar chose to break the MGP and UGDP apart from the Congress last year. But the tables were turned on him when the Congress did the same to him with the backing of the same turncoats.