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Karnataka leaders camp in Goa to woo Kannada voters
The leaders from the state are trying to reinforce the campaigns by their respective central leadership to help get votes, which has the potential to change results in several of the state’s 40 assembly constituencies.
Political leaders from Karnataka’s border districts have been camping in poll-bound neighbouring Goa for the past few weeks to woo the coastal state’s significant number of Kannada-speaking voters in favour of their parties. Goa goes to the polls on February 14.
The leaders from the state are trying to reinforce the campaigns by their respective central leadership to help get votes, which has the potential to change results in several of the state’s 40 assembly constituencies.
The leaders from Karnataka and Maharashtra are using their all tactics to lure Kannada and Marathi speaking voters. On behalf of the Congress, KPCC working president Satish Jarkiholi is engaged in making strategies to woo Kannada voters along with prominent leaders MB Patil and Laxmi Hebbalkar. Former deputy CM Laxman Savadi and Belagavi (south) MLA Abhay Patil are playing the role as main strategists on behalf of the state BJP.
“People of Goa are usually available to meet between 4 pm to 8 pm. Most of them start working late and go to sleep early. We can’t catch them in the morning or after 8 pm. So, we approach them according to their convenience and talk to them. We are holding small meetings in localities of Kannada speaking people and listening to their grievances. Most of the Kannada voters settled in Goa are the daily wage labourers, seeking a better quality of life and permanent and peaceful residentship in the state. We are trying to address their grievances with the help of local BJP leaders,” BJP legislator Savadi told HT.
Being a tourist spot, Goa is famous for beaches, thinly-regulated liquor culture that attracts millions of tourists each year. The leaders are enjoying the Goan hospitality in their free time. The total voters of the state are around 17 lakh and voters in each assembly constituency range from 20,000 to 35,000. Since the number of voters is less, each vote in that state is in great demand.
In 2018, then Manohar Parrikar-led BJP government had razed a large number of houses of Kannada-speaking people built at slums close to Baina beach. The issue had caused a rift between Karnataka and Goa as the families were living there for four decades. Then Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah had strongly condemned the move by writing to Parrikar. However, the claims of Kannada people were unheard.
Savadi said: “We are trying to address all such issues with the concerned people. We believe such incidents don’t haunt the BJP in Goa election as the government led by Promod Savant has done a lot of development work. The Centre has taken development works in thousands of crore funds in the state and Savant has created a safe environment for every person living in Goa.”
BJP MLA Abhay Patil, who is in charge of 15 constituencies, said the party assurance in its manifesto about giving three free LPG cylinders in a year will be the game changer. Patil organises an International Kite Festival every year in Goa followed by Belagavi Kite Festival and is having good relations with local politicians and people in Goa.
Since the past one month, he is in Goa and banking on door-to-door campaigning along with local BJP office bearers. “Mood of the election is pro-BJP and expecting a total majority,” he said.
Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi was seen campaigning in Goa with BJP national president Amit Shah and former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday.
The Congress has deployed KPCC working president Satish Jarkiholi, other prominent leaders like Dinesh Gundu Rao, MB Patil, Laxmi Hebbalkar and BK Hariprasad as star campaigners in Goa. KPCC president DK Shivkumar, leader of opposition Siddaramaih and RV Deshpande have campaigned in Goa.
Congress leader Hebbalkar said since the beginning, the BJP government in Goa has given ill treatment to Kannada people living in that state. Majority of Kannadigas in Goa live in slums. They are the labourer class and do works like building construction, plumbing, fruit selling, mechanical and electrical works etc.
Hebbalkar said the BJP government behaved brutally with Kannadigas during Covid waves which they never forgot. Sentiments of Goa people look in favour of the Congress that leads Congress to get complete majority.
Hebbalkar has been sweating it out in door-to-door campaigning for over two weeks.
Being a a star campaigner, Satish Jarkiholi has campaigned in over 20 constituencies so far and meeting small groups of Kannadigas along with Dalit, minority and OBC communities. “Although some secular votes get divided among many political parties, the Congress is the favourable choice of Goa voters. People are frustrated with the BJP rule and decided to bring the change. There is no doubt the Congress will emerge as the largest party in Goa,” he said.
