In a closely watched contest, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to retain the Poinguinim zilla panchayat constituency in Goa. The party's candidate, Ajita 'Ajay' Loliencar, successfully fended off a strong challenge from the Goa Forward Party's (GFP) Prashant Naik to keep the seat saffron.
A Narrow but Significant Victory
The final vote count revealed a competitive race. Ajay Loliencar secured 5,345 votes, which accounted for 40% of the total votes polled. His main rival, Prashant Naik of the GFP, garnered 4,487 votes. The winning margin stood at 858 votes. A significant factor in the split of votes was the performance of independent candidate Daya 'Umesh' Gaonkar, a former Congress rebel and ex-sarpanch of Cotigao, who polled 1,403 votes.
Speaking to reporters after his victory was confirmed, Loliencar admitted he had anticipated a larger lead. "I expected to win by a bigger margin and must accept that the lead is small," he said. He expressed gratitude to Goa's Sports Minister, Ramesh Tawadkar, and the party workers (karyakartas) for their tireless efforts. "Sir (Ramesh Tawadkar) and the karyakartas worked tirelessly to ensure that I win here. Everyone thought I would get a bigger lead, but I am happy that we have won this one," Loliencar added.
Overcoming Internal and External Challenges
This victory holds special importance for both Loliencar and Minister Ramesh Tawadkar. Loliencar, a former two-time sarpanch, faced internal skepticism within the BJP, with questions raised about him being an 'imported' candidate who received the ticket against the wishes of some hardcore party workers. For Tawadkar, the win was crucial to defending his political turf against a challenge from former Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes, who had supported the Congress-GFP alliance candidate.
When asked about the reasons for the reduced victory margin, Loliencar pointed to the crowded electoral field. "Everyone campaigned to get votes. Maybe that’s why the lead was reduced," he stated, referring to candidates like Gaonkar who enjoyed their own pockets of individual support.
The Rivalry and the Ground Reality
On the other side, GFP's Prashant Naik, a former student leader, president of the Konkani Bhasha Mandal, and chairman of the Nirakar Education Society, was confident of capturing the seat. The GFP had campaigned extensively for its founder member and had insisted on contesting the Poinguinim seat as part of the alliance. Interestingly, Naik and Loliencar hail from the same village and have been friends for a long time.
However, the alliance's efforts fell short. According to ground reports, former MLA Isidore Fernandes failed to significantly influence voters in Poinguinim. Even in his stronghold of Loliem, his impact on the election outcome was minimal.
Ultimately, Loliencar's deep-rooted connection with the grassroots and the organizational support orchestrated by Minister Tawadkar proved decisive. "My victory belongs to every worker and voter. Sir Tawadkar has had a major role to play," said the winning candidate, acknowledging the collective effort behind his triumph in the zilla panchayat polls.
