Members of seven families are candidates in 35% of Goa’s assembly seats – in 14 out of a total 40. Parties including Bharatiya Janata Party, Trinamool Congress and Congress, have given tickets to multiple members of the same family.
BJP, which often claims to be against dynastic politics and purportedly has a “one family, one ticket” policy, has nominated four candidates from two families in Goa.
BJP has given Goa’s current health minister Vishwajit Rane a ticket from Valpoi and also fielded his wife Deviya Rane from the adjoining Poriem constituency.
In last one month, Poriem in North Goa became a talking point after Congress declared Deviya’s father-in-law – the state’s longest serving chief minister and 11-time MLA from the constituency – Pratapsingh Rane as candidate for the 2022 assembly election.
Soon after Congress announced Pratapsingh’s candidature, his son Vishwajit told reporters, “I will be contesting from Poriem constituency for BJP. My father is 82 years old and it is not an age to promote oneself. Why does he have to continue in politics? A person who is my idol and someone I have so much respect for, that person should gracefully retire. It will be a very messy situation.”
The saffron party ultimately fielded Deviya and just a day before the last date for filing nomination papers, on January 27, Pratapsingh withdrew from the fray. He had been representing the seat since 1972 and had been steady in declaring that he would contest from the seat right until he bowed out.
Interestingly, just two days before the poll dates were announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the BJP government in Goa conferred lifelong cabinet status on the Congress stalwart.
Extended hearty greetings to Former CM of Goa Shri Pratapsingh Raoji Rane on completing 50 years as MLA. His vast experience in social work and politics is an inspiration for everyone. Wishing him good health and good luck in all his future endeavours. pic.twitter.com/gssbMzxAwK
— Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) March 24, 2021
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BJP has nominated revenue and information technology minister Jennifer Monserrate from Taleigao constituency. Her husband Atanasio Monserrate, popularly known as Babush, is the BJP candidate from Panjim constituency.
However, while the saffron party gave a ticket to Goa’s deputy chief minister Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar, it denied a ticket to his wife Savitri.
Soon after the announcement of the BJP candidate list, Savitri resigned as the vice-president of the Mahila Morcha (women’s wing) of Goa BJP and will contest as an independent candidate from the constituency.
After Savitri was denied a ticket by the saffron party, she held a press conference and said, “The BJP has denied me a ticket despite assurances. It has double standards as it has allotted tickets to other husband-wife duos in Taleigao and Poreim. I feel betrayed.”
BJP has remained silent and does not appear to have taken action against Chandrakant for Savitri’s presser.
Speaking to this reporter in December, BJP candidate from Sanguem, Subhash Phal Dessai, had said, “Chandrakant’s wife, Savitri is looking for a ticket from this constituency, but the state leadership has assured me that I will get the nomination. Party leadership has chosen me for two reasons, I am a local leader who has been working in the constituency despite losing the 2017 election, and I am BJP’s winning candidate while Savitri is not.”
TMC
Trinamool Congress, which created a lot of buzz since it decided to contest the polls in Goa, gave tickets to four candidates from two families. After the veteran politician and former Nationalist Congress Party MLA Churchill Alemao switched over to TMC, the party nominated him from the Beaulim constituency. It has also nominated his daughter Valanka Alemao from the neighbouring Navelim constituency.
Also read: Goa Elections: With First List, TMC Plays ‘Revenge Politics’, Targets Congress, GFP
Recently in a television interview, when asked about the issue of dynastic politics, Churchill said, “Why are you asking about politicians? Why not ask doctors and engineers [whose children take up the same professions as their parents]?”
Likewise, TMC inducted former Thivim MLA Kiran Kandolkar, who was with Goa Forward Party, and fielded him from Aldona constituency. The party has nominated his wife Kavita from the Thivim seat.
The TMC has decided to join hands with Goa’s oldest party, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party for the upcoming assembly polls. Sudin Dhavalikar is a five-time MLA from the MGP’s bastion, Marcaim. He will be contesting from the same seat. Meanwhile, MGP president and Sudin’s younger brother Deepak Dhavalikar will contest from Priol constituency in North Goa.
Congress
While Congress took a stand that it will not nominate more than one member from a family, the policy was overlooked after BJP MLA and minister Michale Lobo joined the party. On January 12, Michale, along with his wife Delilah, joined Congress.
The grand old party eventually fielded Michale from his home turf Calangute and nominated Delilah from the adjoining Siolim constituency. Lobo’s close aide, Kedar Naik also got a Congress nomination from neighbouring Saligao constituency.
Candidates family members appear to contest from constituencies adjacent to their relatives. This gives these powerful families a unique advantage to extend their political clout beyond their own respective constituencies.
Noted advocate and political analyst from the state, Cleofato Coutinho tells The Wire, “Earlier we had constituency strongmen, now they have extended their hold to the taluka-level. With fewer electors per constituency, these strongmen leaders have been easily manipulating floating voters with their money and muscle power. Parties ought to have taken a firm stand on dynastic politics as it has serious democratic repercussions. People like Babush and Vishwajit have no moral, ideological or democratic standpoint. In case of a hung assembly, the value of these ‘family lawmakers’ increases exponentially.”
The trend of nominating multiple members from a powerful family dates back to 1960s, when Goa’s first chief minister and founder of MGP Bhausaheb Bandodkar brought his daughter Shashikala Kakodkar into active politics. Shashikala later became Goa’s second chief minister.
In 2017, Congress nominated two members each from the Rane, Monserrate and Kavlekar families. The Ranes and Monserrates got tickets in North Goa, and the Kavlekars in South Goa.
Veteran Goa journalist and author, Sandesh Prabhudesai in his book Ajeeb Goa’s Gajab Politics writes, “With the advent of the 21st century began the era of Family Raj politics. The trend of Family Raj in politics coincides with the increasing trend of converting agricultural land into settlement and selling it to land sharks.”
Speaking to The Wire, Prabhudesai said this phenomena progresses across the party lines thanks to business interest and especially, the politics of land. “All are involved in land dealings. The wealth is shared; ministry portfolios or lucrative positions are shared and it also becomes convenient to defect,” he added.
