In a significant political resurgence, the alliance between the Indian National Congress and the Goa Forward Party (GFP) has decisively won the majority of zilla panchayat constituencies in the Salcete taluka, a traditional Congress stronghold. The results mark a dramatic recovery for the opposition, which had suffered heavy losses in the previous elections.
A Resounding Victory for the Opposition Alliance
The alliance's performance was nearly flawless in Salcete, with the Aam Aadmi Party's victory in the Colva seat being the only exception. The GFP secured the lone Raia seat it contested, defeating a candidate backed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. This sweep allowed the Congress-GFP combine to reclaim the two Salcete seats—Davorlim and Guirdolim—that the BJP had won in the last election.
In Davorlim, Congress candidate Floriano Fernandes defeated BJP's Satyavijay Naik. The victory in Guirdolim went to Congress's Sanjay Velip, who, along with his wife and former South Goa ZP chairperson Sanjana Velip, had rebelled to join the Congress just ahead of the polls. Political observers credited these crucial wins to last-minute strategic campaigning by GFP chief Vijai Sardesai.
GFP Emerges as a Force Beyond Its Base
While the GFP won only one of the nine seats it contested across Goa, its impact was felt strongly. The regional party demonstrated its growing influence outside its Fatorda base, coming agonizingly close to victory in other areas. In Rivona, GFP candidate Sahidnya Gaonkar lost to BJP's Rajeshree Gaonkar by a mere 19 votes, highlighting the competitive nature of the polls.
The alliance itself was forged just days before the elections, after attempts to create a larger opposition front including AAP and the Revolutionary Goans party fell apart. GFP chief Vijai Sardesai pointed out the challenges of such a last-minute pact, stating that his party had to campaign independently in its allotted seats due to a lack of coordination time with Congress cadres.
Eyes Firmly Set on the 2027 Assembly Polls
The zilla panchayat elections are widely seen as a bellwether for the larger assembly battles. Sardesai made this connection explicit, appealing to voters by calling this "a semi-final before the assembly polls" and urging support to win the "final" in 2027. He attributed the alliance's success to effectively channeling public discontent against the BJP government.
"The result has shown that if we (opposition parties) work together in the future, we can win with much better margins," Sardesai said. However, he issued a pointed warning to Congress about its alliance strategies, calling the delay in finalizing partnerships a "disease."
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao declared that the people of Goa had delivered a "befitting reply" to the BJP, rejecting what he termed the party's "money power." He asserted that the results reflected a clear sentiment against the current government.
Analysis: A Missed Opportunity for a Grand Alliance?
Political commentators suggested that the opposition's gains could have been even more substantial. Noted analyst Cleofato Coutinho observed that a united opposition front could have potentially swept the polls. He noted that the failure to form a grand alliance stemmed from individual parties' desires to edge out their competition, despite lacking the required strength individually.
The results in Salcete represent a major comeback for the Congress, which had managed to win only three of the taluka's nine seats in the 2020 elections. The strategic, if hurried, alliance with the GFP has clearly paid dividends, setting the stage for a more consolidated opposition challenge in the run-up to the 2027 Goa Legislative Assembly election.
