New Delhi: The smallest Indian state, Goa, will witness one of the biggest electoral battles in recent history, with at least eight national and regional parties in fray for the upcoming election.
The ruling BJP, contesting the first election in Goa following the death of four-time chief minister Manohar Parrikar, has its task cut out in the face of an aggressive Trinamool Congress, a new entrant, and Arvind Kejriwal's AAP.
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A master strategist who is largely credited for expanding the party in Goa, Manohar Parrikar was responsible for the BJP forming the government in 2017 despite Congress emerging as the single largest party with 17 seats.
Under Parrikar, who had resigned as the defence minister to become the CM of Goa, BJP cobbled together a coalition with parties like the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the Vijai Sardesai-led Goa Forward Party (GFP).
However, this time GFP has announced that it would support the Congress, and MGP has forged an alliance with Mamata Banerjee's TMC.
Goa BJP After Parrikar
While most surveys have predicted that BJP would retain the coastal state in the 2022 Assembly polls, it has not been smooth sailing for the Pramod Sawant-led government, with its handling of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic coming under criticism.
Moreover, the induction of 15 MLAs from the Congress and the MGP since 2017 has led to rift within the party and it has come out in the open before the election. The tough task of distributing poll tickets among its old party candidates and defectors will prove to be a headache for the saffron party.
There is also the perception that Sawant, who had big boots of Parrikar to fill and had no ministerial experience before being appointed the CM, has been unable to assert his authority in face of contradicting voices within the Cabinet.
His alleged differences with Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and Minister for Waste Management Michael Lobo has given the Opposition ammo to corner the CM.
Will Trinamool Change Anything?
The emergence of Mamata Banerjee's TMC in Goa's political landscape to expand its national footprint has added another dimension to the battle.
By alligning with MGP, which has a traditional Hindu vote bank, and roping in former chief minister and veteran Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro and tennis great Leander Paes, the TMC has grabbed the spotlight in only a few months. But it remains to be seen if they can be a force to reckon with.
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who has visited the state twice, has repeatedly stressed on Goa and Bengal's fondness for "fish and football".
On one hand she has appealed to the state's Hindu voters by claiming she is a Brahmin and a proud Hindu, while on the other she has harped on her party's secular image, saying TMC stood for 'Temple-Mosque-Church'.
TMC has also played out its tested and successful strategy of wooing women voters, which proved to be a masterstroke in the Bengal election. The party's poll promise of Rs 5,000 cash transfer to every woman head of a household every month has already created a flutter in Congress and BJP ranks.
The AAP Factor
Similar to the TMC's energetic campaigning, AAP too had made a similar splash ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls only to bite the dust. This time, the party has received a boost after winning the Zilla Parishad seat from Benaulim in South Goa.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who has visited the state several times recently, has promised employment to one member of each family and 300 units of electricity free per family per month if the party came to power. Kejriwal has also promised free pilgrimage to various religious centres, including Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The party has also received a major boost with the induction of Alina Saldanah, a MLA from Goa who resigned from the BJP. Alina Saldanha's husband Mathany Saldanha was a minister in the Manohar Parrikar-led Cabinet before passing away in 2012.
Congress' Strategy, Or The Lack Of It
Congress, which is down to just four MLAs in the House, has been hit by a series of resignations even though election in-charge P Chidambaram has tried to put up a brave face, saying the party would "bring back the golden age of Goa in 2022".
The party has been quick off the blocks in releasing its first list of eight candidates, fielding former chief minister Digamber Kamat from the Margao constituency.
Taking a leaf out of the TMC playbook, Priyanka Gandhi too has focused on women voters during her visit to the state, promising 30 per cent reservation in jobs for women if her party was voted to power.
The optics were also taken care of. Priyanka interacted with tribal women and was also seen performing their traditional dance - the video of which went viral.
It remains to be seen whether the Congress' strategy of using a woman (Priyanka) to counter another woman (Mamata) proves to be a masterstroke or will BJP emerge as the big fish in the battle for the coastal state.