*CPI-M Goa Election Appeal*
The Goa State Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following Appeal to the Electorate in Goa : Elections to the State Assembly of Goa will be held on Saturday 4th February 2017. In Goa, the BJP-MGP coalition government which took office in March 2012, has been indulging in communal and casteist politics. The Dalit and the Tribal people of Goa, as also the OBC's have been at the receiving end of this caste - communal ruling dispensation. Consistent attempts, both overt and covert, were being consistently made by these caste - communal forces by trying to misuse the language of school instruction issue. All this was systematically done to cover up their corruption and outright loot of the public exchequer. However, just weeks before the election, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has walked out of the coalition. There is an alternative right coalition consisting of the MGP, Shiv Sena and Goa Suraksha Manch led by a former RSS chief. Moreover, after the two and a half years of the Modi government at the centre and the palpable failure to deliver jobs and development, the shine of the BJP is considerably reduced. Under such circumstances, *the key electoral task* is to ensure the total defeat of the caste - communal ruling dispensation which has played further havoc with the lives of the ordinary citizens of Goa by resorting to corruption and nepotism. A one to one contest in each of the 40 constituencies against the BJP and also against the alternative caste-communal alliance, was very much the need of the hour. The CPI(M) and the Left parties are not a major force in Goa. Keeping in tune with this ground reality, that even 300 odd votes could make a difference between victory or defeat for the central electoral task, the CPI-M decided not to field any candidates in these elections. The CPI-M has consistently worked for the working unity of all the anti - BJP forces at the ground level. Unfortunately, the AAP and the Congress parties have both refused to see plain and simple reason, both being blinded by their illogical conclusions of coming to power by themselves, when the fact of the reality is that neither of them could even find the 40 candidates (by their own "lofty" standards) to field in each of the 40 candidates. This arrogance of going it alone, when being unable to find even 40 candidates, exposes the hollow Go-it-Alone claims of both the AAP and the Congress parties. The CPI-M is conscious of the fact that two candidates of the CPI and many other honest and progressive candidates (individually or party - based) are in the fray, in the various constituencies. *However, this particular election is not the place for minor skirmishes on the sidelines.* *The only criteria that can be implemented is, therefore, to proceed constituency-wise to locate the strongest anti-BJP and anti-MGP candidate in each of the 40 constituencies.* Though such a course of practical action is not likely to result in throwing up the name of a candidate acceptable to all the progressive and secular forces, nevertheless, given the shortcomings of the actual situation, such a course of action is the only possible one to prevent the split of the secular - progressive vote, and to ensure the overall defeat of the caste - communal forces. Keeping this in mind, the CPI-M calls upon the progressive, democratic and secular people of Goa to *vote and elect the "strongest secular candidate" in each of the 40 constituencies.* Over the next two days, the CPI-M will identify the "strongest secular candidate" in each of the 40 constituencies and call upon the people to vote for them. All other battles against corruption and the anti-people policies will be continued consistently over the next five years, so as to serve the true interests of the people. The CPI-M underlines the need to conduct a sustained campaign to expose the reactionary communal character of the BJP and the onslaughts unleashed on the people by the Modi government. The flagrant abuse of official power by the ruling BJP-led dispensation and their shameless corruption and nepotism as also the harassment of the common citizens, all need to be decisively defeated in the coming elections. All the resources are to be marshaled to defeat the BJP in the forthcoming elections. (Released to the media on 31st January 2017). - (Thälmann Pradeep Pereira) Secretary CPI-M (Goa State Organizing Committee).
