An uncomfortable ride in the saddle for Parrikar (ToI)

Vijay de Souza,TNN | Dec 30, 2013, 02.26 AM IST PANAJI: Chief minister Manohar Parrikar's second year in office has been quite eventful so far with a few thorny issues cropping up along the way, but his government appears to be stable despite an abortive attempted coup mid-year in 2013. His government will complete two years in just over two months from now, and it remains to be seen what role the opposition comprising Congress, Nationalist Congress party (NCP) and others like the BJP's own party MLA Vishnu Wagh play in the next few months. The issue of Portuguese citizenship is also likely to trouble the ruling combine but whether it will have only a marginal or spin-off impact will have to be seen in case the Supreme Court passes a landmark verdict. Politically, with the Congress failing miserably as the main opposition party, Parrikar has had a good run. While most Congress leaders were unable to take on the government for obvious reasons, it was left to Sudeep Tamankar to do the damage. Armed with information obtained under the RTI act, he did put the chief minister on the mat on several issues. Ultimately, it was an intra-party tussle that led to the exit of Tamankar as party spokesperson. The newly-appointed president of the Congress party in Goa, John Fernandes, with his long innings in the Rajya Sabha, appears to have a daunting task ahead of steering the party rank and file towards the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. NCP has been very active and it has raked up several issues, often putting the government on the backfoot. Sources in the industry say that high-level corruption continues, though it may not be at its peak. Grapevine has it that in one case, the chief minister had to tell a minister to transfer part of the 'dirty money' received, to the party coffers. Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, activists Kashinath Shetye and Aires Rodrigues are among those who have kept the anti-establishment flame burning. All of them kept raking up what they referred to as Parrikar's "double speak and U-turns." Analysts insist that there is no problem of instability to the government (unless there's a revolt in the party). The Congress party's numerical strength of nine MLAs in the 40-member house appears to be a major factor in toppling games. Not that it's been smooth sailing for Parrikar in 2013.There was an attempted coup in the middle of the year, but differences amongst the group members including Congress, independents and dissident BJP members, helped Parrikar to remain safe in the saddle without much firefighting. In the aftermath of the failed coup, he has forged alliances with non-BJP legislators much to the irritation of his own partymen. The Portuguese citizenship issue was a major development that has rattled the government to a great extent, as it could affect its strength. The chief minister may have tried to make light of the issue publicly, but he is aware of the implications of the order of the Union home ministry against Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva of the Goa Vikas Party. BJP's legislator from Aldona Glenn Souza Ticlo is also caught in the controversy. The Congress is waiting for the disqualification of the two even as the ultra-nationalists in the Sangh Parivar have maintained a stoic silence on the issue. But after the aborted coup, the BJP has taken a tough stand on its dissident members. The party leadership has sent a clear message to them that they cannot voice their grievances in public or go to the media and their members showed how 'disciplined' they can be. The exception was St Andre MLA Vishnu Wagh who didn't shy away from calling a spade a spade. And the attack on him in Revora on December 19, undoubtedly appeared well-planned. Parrikar is sandwiched between the hardliners (who have scant respect for non-cadre MLAs in the coalition) and liberals inside and outside the party. Hardliners are strongly opposed to the arrest of the others named by Wagh in the assault case. Whether any political development will unfold from this development is difficult to know as much depends upon what the St Andre legislator has mind. On the other side, the BJP think-tank is bracing up to take on Wagh if he decides to quit the party to contest the Lok Sabha election. With the Lok Sabha election fast approaching, the chief minister has been trying hard to see that both the seats are won by the BJP. Narendra Sawaikar is the unofficial candidate for the South Goa seat but aspirant Damu Naik has not been fully 'tamed' by the party leadership, sources say. As for North Goa, Shripad Naik continues to be at the mercy of Parrikar if he has to retain the seat for the record fourth time. Parrikar, despite his hectic schedule, makes time to pursue his 'Mission Salcete'. Often he visits the Salcete countryside and spends more time with Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva of the Goa Vikas Party, Velim MLA Benjamin Silva (independent) besides fisheries minister Avertano Furtado (independent) than with BJP leaders. Politically, his strategy will pay off, as, for the triumph of BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, he has to ensure that Salcete - once a Congress bastion - doesn't go the Congress way, analysts say. Parrikar, strategically had not invited Narenda Modi during the run-up to the last assembly election to avoid any negative feelings among the minorities. But this time, Modi, having been declared as the PM candidate of the BJP and that too in 'lucky Goa', the party is no more reluctant with NaMo in Goa. Nonetheless, Narendra Modi may be the 'unanimous choice' for the top post in the BJP but a lobby has been slowly and steadily pushing Parrikar as an alternative in the event the Gujarat chief minister faces opposition to his candidature from the allies in the post-poll scenario. 2013 was also a year when the political graph of Parrikar shot up at the national level when his government took a decision to suo motu file a FIR against Tehelka's founder editor Tarun Tejpal, much before the survivor girl lodged a complaint with the police. At the state level, there was a mixed reaction. The first quarter saw the ruling BJP lose power of the capital city's municipal corporation. Election to the post of mayor was postponed under some pretext but even after several days, the opposition group headed by St Cruz MLA Atanasio 'Babush' Monserrate, remained intact leading to the election of Surendra Furtado as mayor. In the national capital, Arvind Kejriwal has just taken over as the chief minister and people who are fed up with both the Congress and BJP are waiting with hope. In the new year, it is to be seen whether the Aaam Admi Party will be able to rattle Goa's 'Kejriwal of the 90s' and provide an alternative to the people of Goa. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/An-uncomfortable-ride-in-the-saddle-for-Parrikar/articleshow/28117798.cms