Didi changes the game for MGP, GFP, Michael Lobo, Babush Monserrate and others

PANAJI: THE GAME HAS CHANGED. With Mamata Banerjee and her party All India Trinamool Congress officially and publicly declaring its intention to contest the 2022 Assembly polls in Goa, Goan MLAs like Michael Lobo, Babush Monserrate, Babu Kavlekar and the other eight MLAs who jumped ship in 2019 from the Congress to the BJP are no longer swimming in the backwaters of the Zuari or Sal rivers, but are now out in the wild Indian Ocean, where the MH370 (Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370) is yet to be found even after spending billions of USD, trying to locate it over the years.

For all the names mentioned above, taking on local candidates was one thing, for local candidates, no matter which party they belonged to, could be bought, manipulated or threatened, but taking on a candidate, managed, controlled and funded by the TMC, with hundreds of dedicated TMC workers involved in each constituency, working shoulder to shoulder with the candidate, is a different ballgame altogether.

The TMC has a different expertise and technique altogether, far sophisticated and complicated than what Monserrate or Kavlekar or Lobo would wield in the run-up to the polls in their respective constituencies. And even if Team Didi were to win 5 to 7 seats at the least, it would mean a severe dent to these local dons, as their power and sway over the voters in their constituencies would be severely shaken.

It was only on Friday, that her party TMC officially and publicly declared its intention to contest the Goa State Assembly elections.

The official and public declaration of its intention to contest the Goa polls, came in the form of a front page story laid out under the headline “Target sarkar toiri, Goay vote-juddhey Trinamul” (The target is to form the state government, Trinamul in the electoral battle of Goa), the party said the groundwork had already begun, weeks earlier with teams camping in Goa.

The declaration on the front page of Trinamul’s Bengali daily Jago Bangla – the party mouthpiece, has decisively ended speculation that had been rife since election consultant Prashant Kishor and 200-odd members of his team were seen running from pillar to post in Goa.

Leaving nothing to conjecture, the Trinamul Congress finally on Friday declared its decision to take the Goa poll plunge ahead of next year’s Assembly elections.

At least 3 Goa Congress leaders, including one very senior leader are expected to join the TMC and another 2 or 3 leaders could be from different parties.