In a significant political reversal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been completely wiped out in the Salcete taluka of South Goa during the recent zilla panchayat elections. Historically a challenging region for the party, Salcete delivered a stinging rebuke, with the BJP failing to secure any of the three constituencies it contested.
A Comprehensive Defeat in Key Constituencies
The scale of the defeat is stark. The party not only failed to retain the two seats it had won in the 2020 elections—Davorlim and Guirdolim—but also lost in Navelim. This whitewash is particularly notable as it comes despite the BJP having three MLAs representing Salcete in the state legislative assembly.
In Davorlim, a seat the party framed as a prestige battle, BJP candidate Satyavijay Naik lost to Congress's Floriano Fernandes. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had campaigned personally here, and PWD Minister Digambar Kamat was deployed to reach out to minority voters. The party's decision to field Satyavijay Naik over sitting ZP member Paresh Naik is believed to have been costly. After the results, Naik accused some of his own partymen of backstabbing him.
In Guirdolim, the BJP lost to Congress candidate Sanjay Velip, who had rebelled and switched parties ahead of the polls along with his wife Sanjana, a former South Goa zilla panchayat president. Extensive campaigning by the Chief Minister here could not prevent the loss.
Congress-GFP Alliance Rides a Wave
The Congress party, in alliance with the Goa Forward Party (GFP), capitalized on the anti-BJP sentiment spectacularly. Congress more than doubled its tally in Salcete, surging from just three seats in 2020 to win seven of the nine constituencies. It secured comfortable victories in Davorlim, Guirdolim, Nuvem, Curtorim, Navelim, Velim, and Raia.
The alliance's strategy effectively countered the BJP's minority outreach. GFP chief Vijai Sardesai's influence, especially in areas like the Rumdamol housing board, and the consolidation of the Muslim vote proved decisive in tilting the balance. The GFP itself scored a major victory, winning the Raia seat—the only one it contested in Salcete—ending the four-term dominance of the Gaunkar family.
Broader Implications and AAP's Limited Gains
This setback for the BJP underscores the continued failure of its longstanding efforts to make inroads in the Catholic-dominated Salcete region, despite initiatives like the late Manohar Parrikar's 'Mission Salcete'. The party's strategy of backing independent candidates in other Salcete constituencies also failed.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) saw its hopes of expanding its Salcete footprint dashed. While it managed to capture the Colva seat, it lost the Benaulim seat it had won in its debut 2022 victory, maintaining its overall tally. Attacks by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on the BJP and the Chief Minister appeared to have little impact on voters.
Outside Salcete, the Congress-GFP alliance's only other victory in South Goa came in Cola, which was a shocking defeat for the BJP in a constituency partly represented by its own Canacona MLA, Ramesh Tawadkar. The results signal a significant reconfiguration of local political loyalties in South Goa, with the BJP's southern ambitions facing a serious roadblock.
