Messrs Vijai Sardesai and Manohar Parrikar delivered a stunning blow to Congress when Atanasio Monserrate alias Babush joined Sardesai-led Goa Forward Party on July 25. Once again, the Congress leadership, which had no clue that such an operation was underway, was caught napping.
The Congress was planning to field Babush against Chief Minister Parrikar in the upcoming Panaji assembly by-election scheduled for August 23.
The Congress' strategy was sound. Babush Monserrate lost Panaji seat by just over 1,000 votes in the assembly elections held in March. He did not contest on a Congress ticket. In fact, if one counted the vote garnered by AAP's Valmiki Naik, Babush could have defeated Siddharth Kunkalienkar, the BJP legislator who vacated his seat for Parrikar as Panaji has traditionally been Parrikar's seat since 1994.
The votes earned by AAP were essentially anti-BJP votes; had AAP not been present, they would have gone to Babush Monserrate, ensuring BJP's defeat. An ambitious politician and former minister, Babush managed to snatch Panaji municipal corporation from BJP last year. His wife Jennifer is the Congress legislator from Taleigao, Panaji's neighbouring constituency
So Babush contesting against Parrikar would have been a perfect trap for the latter, considering the clout and popularity of Monserrate among Christians of north Goa.
In fact, when Babush declared his intentions to take on Parrikar, the BJP top brass considered Curchorem, a safe seat in south Goa, currently represented by BJP legislator Nilesh Cabral, for the chief minister.
Cabral was too happy to vacate Curchorem as Parrikar contesting from there would have brought all development programmes to the constituency, giving it a VIP status and bringing Cabral closer to BJP's top brass nationally.
It is reliably learnt that BJP allies like Vijai Sardesai felt that Parrikar had no reason to worry and he would sail comfortably through in the by-election. But Parrikar was not very comfortable about moving out of his beloved Panaji. Thus, he announced that he would contest from Panaji and not Curchorem as had been the talk in some sections.
It is very interesting to observe Goan politicians and the way they play their cards, unveil their schemes and tactics.
While many Goans, especially the politicians, may not agree, there exists caste loyalties between Goud Saraswat Brahmins and Christian Bamonns (those who were Brahmins before their ancestors converted to Christianity); between Hindu Kshtriyas and Christian Chardos (one-time Hindu Kshtriyas before conversion); between Hindu backwards and Christian Sudirs (original Hindu backwards before conversion).
Panaji is a city where Saraswat Brahmins control the power—political, economic, cultural and social—and erstwhile Brahmins among Christians are perfectly fine with it. They might call it secularism these days, but in reality these are centuries-old bonds based on caste and community lines.
Pramod Acharya, Editor of Prudent Media, a Goa-based media house, dismisses this caste loyalty talk. “ GSB community is less than five per cent. Where do they have numbers to rule or influence politics? Digambar Kamat gets elected not because he is GSB. His constituency is dominated by non-brahmins. In fact, the Congress legislators who made him CLP leader and chief minister were non-GSBs. Our politics is personality centric; caste or religion does not matter,” stressed Acharya.
But on the ground , the fact remains that the current ruling dispensation is led essentially by Saraswat Brahmins. Parrikar is a GSB, Sardesai is a GSB and so are Dhaulikar brothers of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. Another minister Rohan Khanute is of the same community.
After what happened on July 25, the question that comes to mind is why Congress allowed Babush Monserrate to take itself for ride, especially when this is not the first time he has done it.
“Babush had switched side from Congress to amother party just 15 minutes before the deadline of filing papers for elections. That was in 2007. Congress should thank its stars that he has done it a month in advance this time. Congress leadership should never have trusted him, instead they got sold on to his talk of toppling the government,” opined Acharya.
Congress is now claiming that Vijai Sardesai and Babush Monserrate were planning to topple Parrikar government when the chief minister had gone abroad recently. AICC general secretary in charge of Goa, A. Chellakumar, made statement to this effect immediately after Babush ditched them.
Sources, however, indicated that Babush kept feeding 'topple the government' ideas to Congress leadership. His plan was to topple the government somehow, become a minister in the new formation and then contest the by-election as a minister against the toppled Parrikar. So, even as he sold this idea to Congress leadership, Babush is said to have approached Sardesai to explore possibility of joining hands with Parrikar-led government. It must be noted here that Babush was the lone Congress legislator to openly support BJP's previous government in Goa.
Sardesai, it is learnt, got the wind of plans that Babush was feeding Congress leaders through his contacts in the Congress. He made it very clear to Monserrate that he and his party are not one bit interested in toppling Parrikar government. The reason was simple: Parrikar had given up defence ministry when Vijai Sardesai put forth a condition that he will support BJP government only if Parrikar leads it. Then Sardesai asked Monserrate to be a part of the ruling dispensation. Monserrate, true to his ambition, said he would consider it.
“Monserrate sold his ideas to Congress leadership and even got the PCC chief removed. He and his supporters in Congress told Chellakumar to give them 48 hours after removing Luizinho Faleiro. They would topple this government. It is really sad that the Congress changed PCC chief,” said Acharya.
Congress is now considering the name of senior lawyer Surendra Desai as it's candidate against Parrikar. AAP is planning to field Valmiki Naik once again. But the writing on the wall appears to be what Vijai Sardesai declared. "Parrikar is already the Panaji MLA."
