Goa by-poll campaign sans Alemao's tiatro shows Team Mangalorean, Goa Panaji, October 22, 2007: No usual brass bands to start the public meetings and no tiatre shows to woo the crowd for the public meetings. Absence of Save Goa Front President Churchill Alemao in the October 31 Lok Sabha by-poll is clearly evident in the coastal Salcette taluka belt. Volley of fire crackers, brass brand playing Goan songs or a tiatre (local theatre) show before the election rally or meeting can begin is synonym with Alemao, who has literally gone into hibernation after congress denied ticket to his daughter Valenka Alemao. The SGF president, who shares power with the congress in the state government, had high hopes of congress ticket till late date. But the hopes came dashing down when congress president Sonia Gandhi declared ticket to Goa Pradesh congress committee president Fransisco SArdinha. Alemao felt cheated and took almost a day to come to terms with the situation as his daughter Valenka had even started her campaigning in the constituency. This is a backstabbing," Alemao reacted cursing Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat and all the congress leaders. But few days later, Alemao issued a little sober statement supporting Sardinha. ``I am a part of congress led state government and hence I have to support him (sardinha)," Alemao said. His support, however, came with the rider that he will not share dais with him. "I cant ditch my daughter," was the pet reply by a father. Alemaos absence has cleared spelled its gloom over the scene. A colourful personality, Alemao, always had some or other innovations in his public meetings. His elections rallies had a coat of entertainment. Tiatre, a locally popular theatre form, is used freely by Alemao for either of his rallies or public meetings. Tiatrists used to write special tiatre canvassing for Alemao and the production used to be ready little before his campaign begin. The tiatre story usually used to revolve around how choice of Alemao as their representative would enhance their lives. This popular mode of campaigning also used to stay away from election commission of Indias expenditure as officially it was not part of campaigning. Alemao also used to have his comrades in arm like Siddhnath Buyao, a renowned musician, Prince Jacob, a well famed RJ and tiatrist, Mike Mehta, a lawyer cum tiatrist and various others, who were ever ready to pick up a mike and sing entertaining the crowd. This election, however, the glamour is lost. Alemao is hardly seen in the public meetings and his campaign managers are busy with their daily chores not lending any support to the campaigning. http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=56104
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