COLUMN: Will the voters of Benaulim constituency elect a disqualified
candidate?
Will the voters of Benaulim constituency elect a disqualified candidate?
By Nisser Dias
nisserdias at gmail.com
SMS to 9422437029
Last week the Congress party showed some spine by disqualifying Valanka
Alemao for using her father PWD minister Churchill Alemao to garner
support for her candidature for the post of president of Goa Youth
Congress in a bid to clinch her victory. However she was caught in an
act of deceit, trying to entice the voters allegedly through money
power, muscle power which is the true influence of her father.
Churchill Alemao has become a veteran in using such methods to win
elections. His claims that people vote him to power because they love
him and his family, this in my opinion is simply lip service. Since his
entry in politics his success or victory was largely due to intimidation
or lure. And the same tactics were sought to be used for the very first
election that Valanka Alemao was contesting. Though educated, it is
surprising that she is not averse to such tactics. For Alemao's it is
the victory at any cost that counts. Morals, ethics and values have
never been their forte. Thank God, Valanka have been stopped in her
tracks of vitiating the election process or otherwise she would have
continued the trend for assembly election just like her father and uncle.
All along they have used, misused and abused Goans for their own sake
allegedly to amass wealth. And Valanka seems to be showing similar
traits. For more than a couple of years now, rumour mill have been
screaming aloud that this young lady had taken over the business of
being a collection agent of her father. Of course she has been
confronted with this aspect by the media, but her reply was 'show me the
proof.'
However, the amount of money that is being spent to promote Valanka's
candidature for the coming assembly elections in Benaulim constituency
is astronomical. Almost every week new banners are being put up with her
picture in the constituency for some activity or the other and the
common factor is that she is always the chief guest. Where does she get
the funding from -- is shrouded in mystery. For PWD minister Churchill
Alemao the victory of her daughter Valanka is of utmost importance and
he is ready to stoop to any level to achieve that goal.
The government led by Chief minister Digambar Kamat have put up with the
threats and tantrums of the PWD minister for far too long. Any decision
of the government, wherein Churchill does not stand to benefit, he would
blackmail the government with threats to resign or topple the
government. In case of Valanka's disqualification, it was the decision
of the election commission of Indian Youth Congress election committee,
so where is the question of the holding the government responsible and
the state to ransom. At the most an appeal could be filed with the
appropriate authority. The Congress to prove its worth and its
credibility should accept the resignation of both the Alemao brothers
not only as ministers but also as primary members. At the same time
serious consideration are overdue of their blackmailing tactics. In
return Congress party should threaten the Alemao family with Income Tax
raids and CBI investigation on the wealth amassed by both the brothers
in the last four years. This will clearly indicate that by purchasing
votes by doling out Rs. 500 to voters, that these two brothers have made
politics their business and have allegedly accumulated wealth
disproportionate to their known source of income.
Of course there will be accusation against the party for witch hunting
and harassment, but if two persons can hold the state government to
ransom what better treatment do they deserve? As it is we have witnessed
like never before the gang-rape of Goa and its exchequer in the last
five years by the Digambar led coalition government. When I say
government it does not only mean its ministers though they have been the
biggest beneficaries but also the MLAs. Almost on daily basis a new scam
surfaces but the Congress party is doing the ostrich’s act so far.
However as per the latest developments in Delhi, it seems that Churchill
and his brother Joaquim have got a reprieve, however the party refused
to revoke the disqualification and Valanka had to swallow the humble
pie. The Congress party has assured the brothers to seriously consider
the candidature of younger Alemaos, however Congress is rarely known to
keep its promise and who knows it better then Churchill himself. All in
all it was a face saving exercise for the Alemaos. Has justice been done
now? If at all Valanka contests the next assembly election be it on any
party ticket, she will always remained tagged as disqualified candidate.
But one fact is clear, Churchill and Joaquim stand exposed as they had
never tendered their resignation in writing to the chief minister. It
was simply because they know that, 'a bird in hand is better than two in
a bush'. They simply could not give up the lucrative portfolios thus
Valanka was sacrificed on the altar of greed.
It has been reported in the media that Congress party bigwigs praised
Valanka for the developmental work she is carrying out in the village of
Benaulim. Is it not ironical that a layman has to carry out such works
when we have a government in place. The fact of the matter is that she
makes her presence felt wherever PWD asphalts roads or premix is being
laid. Thus it is the exchequer’s money with which roads are being done.
Just because Valanka makes an appearance does not mean she is doing-up
roads from her personal kitty. She is only trying to pull wool over
those who do not want to understand.
Of course this strategy is not originally hers. The architect of this
plan is Calvert Gonsalves - a panch member of Colva and producer of
music CD 'Dogui Bodmas'. His tactics are to organize an events and
invite among others, those opposed to the candidate and take pictures.
Then spread the word in the constituency that the opposing constituents
have been convinced and won over and corroborate this with photographs.
This approach he had used to get Mickky Pacheco elected. After he
crossed swords with Benaulim MLA, Calvert has now jumped on Churchill’s
bandwagon for obvious reasons and is now teaching Valanka the ropes of
campaining and changing the tide in her favour. Infact Calvert has
explained this strategy in his CD wherein he claims to have taught
Mickky how to woo local leaders opposing him without spending money. The
lyrics are 'Ganvchea leader-ank udar gheunk xikoile'.
After all said and done, no citizen can hold a state or country to
ransom. It is unjustified and also not acceptable. Churchill Alemao has
been doing it too often. Are we so cheap that we keep on reposing faith
in him by casting our franchise in his favour? And today people of
Benaulim should don on their thinking cap and decide whether they are
going to vote for Valanka Alemao - a disqualified candidate to represent
them in the Assembly. (ENDS)
======================================================
First published in Gomantak Times, Goa - July 28, 2011
