After Gujarat, BJP trains eyes on Goa

With Gujarat affairs apparently settled, the BJP top brass is now looking at Goa where Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party is causing disturbing tremors. After Anandiben Patel in Gujarat, the BJP could possibly go for a change of guard in Goa.

Speculation is rife that chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar might be asked to step down and defence minister Manohar Parrikar may be asked to take charge of the state yet again as the ruling BJP seems to be in major trouble.

Sources in BJP revealed that reports of a “non-performing” government and AAP rapidly gaining ground were pouring in from Goa. They also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently sought reports on Goa following reports of AAP’s emergence.

There have also been reports of differences between the BJP and RSS in Goa. Last month the Goa RSS chief, Subhash Velingkar, had gone on record to say that a pro-regional languages group he is part of was actively working on a political strategy to defeat the ruling BJP in poll-bound Goa. The RSS feels that the BJP has “betrayed” the cause of regional languages, which includes Konkani and Marathi.

However, it’s the allegations of “non-performing” government “that is hurting us the most,” a senior BJP functionary said. Party’s central leadership thinks that a change of guard could change the situation for the party.

While AAP and Congress have been targeting the Muslim and Christian vote bank, the BJP leaders claim that their party still “holds the advantage” following the rising Hindu population in the state. The 2011 census indicates that from 60 per cent in 1961, the Hindu population jumped to 66 per cent by 2011. Christians, on the other hand, the second largest religious group in Goa, have shown a decline and gone down from 38 per cent in 1961 to 25 per cent in 2011. Muslims, however, have grown from 2 to eight per cent.

Despite the demography, what could work in AAP’s advantage is that Goa is one of the most urbanised states in the country. AAP came third in 26 Assembly segments out of 40 in 2014 elections, and achieved 3.4 per cent vote share. For a new party, political pundits describe this as “impressive”.

Though AAP has emerged as a key player in Goa, the BJP is expected to have a direct fight with the Congress. The Congress, like in other states, is at its lowest in Goa. The party is plagued with factionalism and leaders are battling allegations of corruption.

The BJP is of the opinion that the before the next 2017 Assembly, the party has to do a Gujarat in Goa. “We are strill strong and a change of guard will only make us stronger,” a senior BJP leader claimed.