Parties to test their strength in rural Goa with ZP elections

Panaji/Margao: Restitching of alliances and new political parties entering the fray, along with some friendly fights, have turned the zilla panchayat (ZP) election battle into a hard-to-decipher scenario.With Goa Forward and Revolutionary Goans contesting the ZP polls for the first time, it will be a litmus test for the political parties ahead of bigger challenges at the 2027 state assembly elections.The parties are confident that rural Goa will vote in their favour. There are 50 constituencies, including 25 each in north and south Goa. A total of 8.6 lakh voters will exercise their franchise on Saturday to elect 50 candidates from amongst the 226 in the fray.During the last ZP polls in 2020, all political parties fought elections on its own, with BJP securing a comfortable victory, even as Pramod Sawant faced his first big test after being sworn in as the chief minister. BJP won 14 of the 24 seats in south and 19 of the 25 seats in north.While BJP has now forged an alliance with MGP, Congress allied with GFP, with AAP and RGP contesting individually. Not surprisingly, almost 40 constituencies are witnessing a four-cornered fight.

The opposition, which wanted to have a united front, was divided at the end of the nominations process. Congress wanted to join hands with two regional parties, GFP and RGP, but could not form an alliance with RGP due to last-minute issues over seat sharing.BJP is contesting 40 seats and MGP three, leaving seven to independent candidates.On the other hand, opposition Congress is contesting 36 seats and GFP nine, while they are fighting friendly fights in two constituencies—Morjim and Corlim, both in north Goa.

AAP is contesting 42 seats and supporting independent candidates, while RGP is trying to make their presence felt in 30 constituencies.There are constituencies where parties have fielded candidates with alliance partners, but those who lost assembly elections are supporting independents to keep themselves politically relevant.Chief minister Pramod Sawant said the ZP election is important for the development of rural areas and urged the electorate to come out in large numbers and exercise their franchise.

Sawant said ZP will be linked to the rural development agency to boost economic activities.Salcete, with nine zilla panchayat constituencies, is witnessing an intense three-cornered battle between Congress-GFP alliance, AAP, and independents, as BJP has a marginal presence in this Catholic-dominated taluka, and RGP is contesting only four seats. Altogether, 42 candidates are in the fray in Raia, Nuvem, Colva, Benaulim, Davorlim, Velim, Curtorim, Guirdolim, and Navelim constituencies.

BJP plans to support independent candidates while fielding only a few of its own, owing to its limited appeal in this belt.With AAP having two MLAs representing Velim and Benaulim constituencies, a close battle is on the cards between the party and Congress candidates in these two coastal segments. Fierce multi-cornered contests are on the cards in a few constituencies.“With local political satraps wielding considerable influence and multiple parties likely to fragment anti-BJP vote, the outcome in Salcete could be anybody’s guess,” a political commentator said.In Quepem, former MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar is working intensively to regain ground lost to Congress's Altone D'Costa in the last assembly election. In Shiroda, water resources minister Subhash Shirodkar’s daughter Gauri (BJP) is locked in a four-cornered battle between AAP, RG, Congress, and an independent.In two ZP constituencies of Canacona – Poinginuim and Cola – BJP faces a tough challenge from the Congress-GFP alliance.