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After acing court, Leander prepares for political battle in Goa
There are many who remain sceptical about the promises Paes and his party TMC are making for development of Goa.
Indian tennis legend Leander Paes, who has recently joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC), is busy traversing through the streets of poll-bound Goa, talking to local residents about problems faced by them and promising solution while tracing his ancestral legacy in the coastal state’s political court.
Taking a leaf out of his playing days, he starts early in the morning, holding meetings to plan his day, followed by making strategies for the poll campaign and review people’s response. After the meeting, the celebrity campaigner for the TMC in Goa along with his partner and Bollywood actor Kim Sharma hit the road, greeting people, posing for photographs and offering a genteel smile to those that stare from the distance.
“It’s been incredible. The reception that I’m so blessed to receive was one of being a son of the soil when we went into Velim, Tolleacanto, Assolna (the village where his father Vece Paes hails from) or when we came here to Calangute to Calangute or Candolim. They all start first talking about how wonderful it was to have a son of the soil coming back to make a difference,” and Olympic bronze medalist said, while being driven from one house to another.
Helping him in his first plunge in politics is a group of around 20 IPAC (Indian Political Action Committee) volunteers, who have to constantly adjust his logistics and schedule as engagements take longer than planned and meetings either get delayed or cancelled.
On Sunday, Paes had to cancel a meeting with Bruno Coutinho, former India football captain in the 90s, at the last minute while trying to squeeze in a meeting with a popular local restaurateur before rushing to back-to-back meetings with party strategists later in the day.
“I served the country for 30 years playing my tennis. I’ve travelled around the world and tried to bring laurels to our flag and to our people. But now that I’ve retired from tennis, my single-minded focus is to bring a better quality of life to our people and to bring a sense of peace in society and a sense of harmony,” Paes said.
His plunge into politics, he said, received a “mixed reaction” even within his family. “It’s amazing how everyone has a point of view on politics. I’ve pretty much heard it all,” he added.
In between getting selfies and greetings, Paes also attempts to field questions about the party’s plans for Goa, which will go to assembly polls in February-March next year. One question that he recalls being frequently asked is as a son of the soil, where was he all these years and why has he emerged in a political outfit only months before the state elections.
“I think there are so many Goans and Indians who have left their roots to pursue other professions to make a living. But we never leave our roots in our hearts and minds. Could have I come ten years ago? Could I have come five years ago? Could I have come six months ago? Maybe. But the fact that I’m here now is what matters,” he said.
“There is a time and a place for everything and I’ve been very blessed to be in the right place at the right time. If given the right opportunity and a platform to bring a quality of life just as my parents and forefathers have given me and my sisters, I would like to do that to all my brothers and sisters of Goa,” he added.
However, there are many who remain sceptical about the promises Paes and his party are making for development of Goa.
“They (TMC) are speaking the right language but are yet to grasp the intricacies of Goa’s politics and prove that they really are here with an aim to defeat the BJP. They have to choose the right candidates and support the right candidate where they can’t find the right one,” said one such person after meeting Paes. “There are several issues that affect the locals, that they don’t seem to have fully understood,” he added, requesting anonymity.
“We appreciate Paes for all he has done, but politics is a different ball game. I do not think he has had much of an impact. He didn’t come to Goa even during his playing days and now suddenly before elections he is here,” said Michael Beny da Costa, a resident of Velim, where Paes’s ancestral family hails from. He was a candidate for the TMC during its earlier foray in to Goa in 2012.
“It is good for the voter that he has a choice of many candidates but we are worried about a split in the secular vote,” da Costa added.
Neshwin Almeida, who traces his roots to the village but now lives in Margao, said Paes’s entry will get eyeballs, but may have little impact on the party’s ultimate chances in the election.
“Velim constituency comprising villages of Assolna, Ambelim, Velim, Tollecanto, Chinchinim and Sarzora is surely proud of his 1996 Olympic Bronze, but Leander never recognised his Goan ancestry in the past and preferred to be known as a Kolkata boy or Bombay lad. In fact, he is more known for his club tennis in the USA and his visits to the White House to meet Obama as Washington Kastles captain,” Almeida said.
“Bringing him to Velim will cause more insecurity amongst voters that an outsider with a distant son of the soil tag is being imposed on the constituency while the local lad Antonio Clovis da Costa who joined the TMC (and is a ticket aspirant) was sidelined. Bringing sportsperson to shake hands with children, wave at fishermen and interact for two hours can’t win you polls, it’s the foot soldiers that always win polls,” he added.
When asked if he was going to contest the assembly election, Paes said, “I’m growing every day and learning something new. We are assessing the situation as it is on a daily basis and if the party decides that I should contest the polls then I’m ready.”
The TMC with IPAC’s assistance has decided to once again foray into the Goa political space and has brought on board former CM Luizinho Faleiro to lead the party and has even begun poaching members mainly from the Congress to boost its numbers.
