Salcete takes pole position in South Goa's politics

PANAJI: When Narendra Sawaikar files his nomination as the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for the South Goa parliamentary seat, he will not only be making an attempt to wrest the seat from the Congress, but also to become the first non-Saxttikar since Erasmo de Sequeira to represent the constituency.
Since 1977, when Eduardo Faleiro won the South Goa seat for the Congress, no politician from outside Salcete has won from this constituency.Faleiro was followed by Churchill Alemao, Ramakant Angle and Francisco Sardinha, who have shared the seat among themselves, allowing no other to even come close.
"By the sheer size of its population, Salcete overwhelms South Goa. A third of the MLAs from South Goa come from Salcete and so too a third of the population," says Cleofato Coutinho, a political observer. He explains that Salcete's population (according to the 2001 census South Goa has a population of 5,89,095 of which 2,62,035 come from Salcete) easily makes it a dominant factor in Goan politics. It is a fact that politicians are well aware of.
All three probable Congress candidates are from Salcete and state party president Subash Shirodkar explains this saying, "There are many villages in Salcete and there are bound to be personalities who because of their social work have the backing of the people. There is nothing wrong with that."
The other names doing the rounds as possible candidates, whether from the United Goans Democratic Party or the Save Goa Front, are also from Salcete. Says Radharao Gracias of the UGDP, "Salcete with eight seats will play a role proportionate to the representation it has. Salcete has one-fifth of the total Assembly seats, so I don't think that it is playing a bigger role than what it ought to."
UGDP plans on fielding Matanhy Saldanha as their candidate. Saldanha may reside in Panaji, but his home village of Cansaulim borders Salcete, is closer to Salcete in lingo and would easily be mistaken for a village in Salcete by many. Mormugao as a taluka, for that matter, came into existence post Liberation, prior to which it was all Salcete.
Speaking to party workers at Ponda on Monday, BJP leader Manohar Parrikar claimed that Ponda was given "representation for the first time" and that the taluka plays an important role in Goan politics. Parrikar, however, knows just what a major role Salcete plays in South Goa politics.
"Obviously Salcete does play a major role. It is the truth, there is no denying that," says Parrikar. The BJP has attempted to break the hold Salcete has on South Goa politics and in 2004 the party had attempted to create inroads in the constituency, an attempt that had been dubbed as "Mission Salcete".
Such is Salcete's dominance on Goan politics that currently six ministers, including the chief minister, hail from the taluka. "Power has been concentrated in one area instead of being spread all over the state. Let Salcete get its due, but concentrating everything in one area is bad for the state and for politics also," said Parrikar.
Agrees Gracias. "Salcete's role has been to some extent exaggerated by this," he says.
Shirodkar, however, refutes this. Says he, "Whether Salcete dominates or not is not important. In politics what is important is how much you deliver."