In a significant political reversal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced a major defeat in the Catholic-dominated Salcete taluka of Goa, losing both the Zilla Panchayat seats it had previously held. The party was unable to defend the Davorlim and Guirdolim constituencies it had won in the 2020 elections, marking a substantial setback in a region where it has historically struggled to gain a foothold.
Prestigious Battles and Stinging Defeats
The BJP had contested in three out of the nine Zilla Panchayat constituencies in Salcete. The Davorlim seat became a particularly high-profile contest, with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant himself addressing a campaign rally to bolster support for the party candidate, Satyavijay Naik. Despite this top-level backing, Naik was defeated by the Congress party's Floriano Fernandes.
In a dramatic post-election statement, a disheartened Naik told reporters that he felt "backstabbed" by some members within his own party, suggesting internal sabotage contributed to the loss.
Congress Gains and GFP's Strategic Win
In Guirdolim, the BJP lost to the Congress, which had fielded Sanjay Velip. Velip, along with his wife Sanjana Velip—a former chairperson of the South Goa Zilla Panchayat—had rebelled against their previous political alignment and joined the Congress just ahead of the polls.
Meanwhile, the Goa Forward Party (GFP), which has entered into an alliance with the Congress for this election, scored a crucial victory. The GFP's Inacina Pinto won the Raia seat, the only constituency the party contested in Salcete, defeating an independent candidate who enjoyed BJP support.
Implications for Goa's Political Landscape
This outcome underscores the BJP's continued challenges in making inroads into the Salcete region, a key Catholic stronghold in the state. The results highlight the effectiveness of the Congress-GFP alliance in consolidating opposition votes. The loss of both seats it previously held is seen as a blow to the BJP's local organizational strength and its campaign strategy in the taluka. The victories for Congress and its ally GFP are likely to reshape the political equations in South Goa's grassroots governance bodies.
