PANAJI: Mamata Banerjee’s recent vist to Goa at best can be termed a flop, or if one wants to be harsh in one’s judgment, then a ‘catastrophe of mammoth proportions’.

Mamata Banerjee versus Rahul Gandhi

The reason for this evaluation is manifold. When compared to the budget of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Goa, days after Mamata’s maiden visit to the coastal state, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) spent nearly Rs 1 crore, compared to the Congress’ Rs 20-25 lakh. But there’s a big difference – Rahul Gandhi addressed a big gathering of thousands of Congress workers, while Banerjee’s interaction were only with a few hundred people. Rahul Gandhi managed to stir up and motivate more Goans, than Mamata Banerjee did, in spite of the TMC spending 5 times more than the Congress.

Failed Temple Run

Banerjee’s visits to prominent temples in Goa boomeranged badly, with locals accusing her of “insulting the Hindu religion”. It is surprising that Team Mamata could not predict such reactions due to cultural and traditional differences and did not brief their Supremo of the difference in religious sensitivity and local norms.

Bangla versus Konkani

It is surprising that people like Prashant Kishor and Derek O’Brien could not understand in advance the prevalent communication gap that could dampen Mamata’s interaction with local Goans. Mamata Banerjee is not very fluent in English and Hindi and most Goans, including journalists and politicians who met Banerjee had a tough time understanding what she said. She does not speak or understand Konkani and her diction and dialect may be very popular in West Bengal, but sounds like Latin and Greek to Goans.

No Organizational Structure in Goa

Most importantly, the TMC failed to declare its Organizational Structure in the state and yet ventured into a Mamata visit. Without a proper structure, foundation and organization, the TMC brass should have not invited their Chairperson over. Even former Goa CM Luizinho Faleiro’s exact role in the Goa unit is not clear and with no declared local office bearers, the TMC and Mamata Banerjee came across to Goans as fly-by-night operators, with no serious intent.

Incorrect TMC Media and PR Strategy

Like GPCC President Girish Chodankar said, “TMC has more flags and hoardings in Goa, than it has workers,” a statement that holds true and glares out through all the huge-spend hoardings and posters the party put out before Mamata’s visit. Further, a cartoon uploaded on social media by the TMC on their official pages, showed Banerjee’s foot stomping on top BJP leaders including PM Narendra Modi. This infuriated the local BJP cadre, which went out tearing down TMC hoardings, blackening Mamata’s images and also supported a Black Flag welcome at the airport. Banerjee and her team should thank their stars that this happened in Goa, for the Goa unit of the BJP, including CM Pramod Sawant and the top leadership has inculcated a lot of Catholic tolerance and magnanimity. If a similar cartoon were to be released in UP, or for that matter Maharashtra against the Shiv Sena supremo, several police cases would have been filed, resulting in violence and a law and order situation and Banerjee would have to cancel her visit. An important lesson for the TMC PR team, when you go to a new place, don’t go with guns blazing (Unless you are the USA). The problem here is, Goa TMC Media and PR is not handled by Goans – unfortunately there are no experienced local Political PR agencies in Goa – maybe O’Brien, Kishor & Co. could have consulted us!

No workers, no welcome

Another important fact that cannot be ignored – the local leaders including Luizinho Faleiro who have joined the TMC have no mass followers of their own and are unable to get huge crowds for rallies and meetings. Hence, when Mamata landed at the Goa airport, there were hardly a dozen supporters to greet her. She must have expected thousands of supporters to greet her on the roads leading from the airport, or near her hotel, but that was not to be as the newly-inducted TMC leaders have no genuine supporters of their own. Luizinho Faleiro should have arranged for “paid local Goan crowds”, but for reasons best known to him, did not do so. All that Banerjee saw as soon as she sat in the vehicle, after leaving the airport were black flags by BJP-affiliated groups, that set the tone and mood for the rest of the two days. Read More Here

Panaji: While the high command in Delhi may still be dilly-dallying about the Goa Congress chief, one fact cannot be overlooked.

The Goa Congress needs Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco to campaign for them aggressively in South Goa – not just a month before the polls, but from right now.

With about six months left for the polls, if Lourenco starts meeting grassroots workers now, in each constituency, it will take him at least six months to cover all 40 constituencies.

Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco is the man who can lead to Congress to victory and his aggressive performance is the need of the hour.

ALSO READ: Lourenco spends money from ‘own pocket’ to repair roads in Curtorim

The people of South Goa have tremendous faith in him and respect him. I have seen this myself during the election campaign of 2019. Other Goa MLAs may be feared for their money and muscle power, but Reginaldo is loved for his humility and simplicity. Whatever his shortcomings they can be made up with other senior leaders jointly taking key decisions. But without Reginaldo at the helm of campaigning, the Congress is doomed to single digit numbers in Goa.

Without Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, the Congress would be a lame or sitting duck for the Opposition and the likes of Babu Kavlekar will use all the means at their disposal to decimate the Congress.

Irrespective of their internal differences, the Goa Congress Unit must declare its Star Campaigners and make Reginaldo its head.

He should be in-charge of the election campaign along with other seasoned hands like Francisco Sardinha, Digambar Kamat and Ramakant Khalap. These four if they put their hearts and heads together unitedly can take the Congress in Goa to a sure-shot win.

ALSO READ: Reginaldo sounds the bugle for a state-wide mass protest against the Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill

During the last week of July, Rahul Gandhi had summoned state party president Girish Chodankar, opposition leader Digambar Kamat, Navelim MLA Luizinho Falerio, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha, former Union minister Ramakant Khalap and Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco to Delhi.

According to a Times of India report, Gandhi had one-on-one meetings with them and later met with AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal and AICC Goa desk in charge Dinesh Gundu Rao.

“We were called to Delhi because Rahul Gandhi wanted to hear from us about Goa and we have given him our feedback,” Faleiro said.

Gandhi met senior leaders of Goa and told them to work unitedly and to promote young and new faces to win the assembly elections, Rao said in a statement.

During the meeting, Gandhi sought inputs about the political situation in Goa and discussed various strategies for the coming assembly elections.

But Gandhi should not fail to see the writing on the wall. There is hardly any time left. An election campaign committee must be set up with Reginaldo as its head – to commence door-to-door visits to every household – at least in South Goa.