Anti-Incumbency, MLAs’ Performance Denting Party
BJP
Panaji: With assembly elections hardly six months away, the state unit of BJP has kicked off its pre-poll exercise by conducting an internal winnability survey of all the 40 constituencies. The preliminary survey has indicated that 50% of the 20 seats in North Goa are vulnerable.The saffron party, which has been a dominant force in North Goa, having 17 of the 20 MLAs in its fold, has found that besides anti-incumbency, the performance of MLAs and a missing connection at the grassroots have made them susceptible.The survey report has classified the constituencies under three categories: A, B and C. Those constituencies that have a sure-shot winnability factor like those in Sattari and Bicholim talukas and some from Bardez and Tiswadi have been placed under the ‘A’ category.Those with a 50:50 chance like those from Pernem and some again from Tiswadi and Bardez talukas have been placed under the ‘B’ category. While those where the party feels that it needs a change of its candidate or where the grassroots presence is lacking have been put under the ‘C’ category, a senior core committee member said on condition of anonymity as it was an internal party meeting.He said only the North Goa constituencies were taken up in the first round of the core committee meeting held recently in Panaji, which was attended by chief minister Pramod Sawant, state party president Damodar Naik, Union minister Shripad Naik, Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade and other members.The second round will take stock of the 20 South Goa constituencies, but the senior functionary said BJP has not conducted surveys for Velim, Nuvem and Benaulim as the party is almost non-existent in these seats.Though no formal plan has been finalised, the party has gone back to the drawing board to analyse and fix the shortcomings before the assembly election.The senior functionary also said the party did not discuss possibilities of alliance with like-minded parties. BJP is in a post-poll alliance with MGP, which has three MLAs.After the party’s state executive meeting on Saturday, state president Naik said BJP would contest all 40 seats, and a decision on alliance would be taken based on the political circumstances.There have been rumblings inside the party about its alliance with MGP and a few days back the MLAs from both the parties had an argument over MGP’s attempts to try and spread itself in the Shiroda constituency, which is represented by WRD minister Subhash Shirodkar.The BJP state executive meeting took a decision to visit every household across the state to connect with people ahead of the next assembly election.With some of the MLAs having reservations about facing municipal elections ahead of assembly polls, the state govt indirectly postponed the municipal election by bringing changes in the process of holding municipal elections.BJP has been in office for nearly 15 years now and in the 40-member House, it currently has 27 MLAs. One of its MLAs died in Oct 2025 and since then the seat has remained vacant.
