From MGP bastion to BJP ruled state, where is Goa headed now?
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From MGP bastion to BJP ruled state, where is Goa headed now?
CAMIL PARKHE | Tuesday, 31 January 2017 AT 09:16 PM IST
Goa is the only territory in the country where a referendum was conducted to decide its fate; to exit an an independent entity or to merge into the neighbouring Maharashtra as one of its districts. The referendum was held soon after the liberation of Goa, Daman and Diu from the foreign Portuguese rule in 1961. Besides the referendum, there are many some other characteristics and features which makes this smallest state in the country, a unique territory.
During the first two decades after Goa’s liberation, the politics in the erstwhile Union Territory was dominated by the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) having support among mainly the Hindus and the United Goans Party which had strong base among the Catholics and the upper caste Hindus.
The MGP, led by Dayanand Bandodkar and later by his daughter Shashikala Kakodkar, ruled the state from 1963 to 1979. It was the objective of the MGP to merge Goa into Maharashtra but this goal was rejected by the people in the 1967 referendum.
The MGP accepted the people’s verdict and the party which was voted back to power in the state nonetheless has retained its nomenclature to this date.During those days, Goa, Daman and Diu Union territory had only 30 seats, of those Goa had 28 and Daman and Diu one seat each.
I remember it was jokingly said that the Union Territory had three and half ministers, three of the cabinet rank (chief minister included) and one minister of state.
Pratapsingh Rane who has been the Congress Party’s prominent face in Goa for the past three and half decades was incidentally was one of the cabinet ministers in Shashikala Kakodkar government.
Kakodkar had to resign after her government was reduced to minority in 1979. The brief spell of the President’s rule and subsequent assembly polls led to bizarre events. Goa assembly polls were held along with the mid-term polls in the country.
Indira Gandhi stormed back to power in the country and in Goa, it was the Congress (Urs) led by local leaders Pratapsinh Rane and Anant Naik which was elected to power.
Rane was elected the chief minister and the local Congress (Urs) unanimously decided to merge the party into the Congress led by Indira Gandhi. Subsequently, Rane was able to retain the chief minister’s post consecutively for a record period of 11 years.
In 1986, Goa also attained statehood, the territory also severed its link with Daman and Diu with whom it had absolutely no cultural link save the Portuguese rule. Goa’s assembly seats since then rose from 28 to 40 seats.
In 1990s, Goa witnessed a long period of political instability, leading to the game of musical chairs for the post of the state chief minister.
The instability continued even after BJP leader Manohar Parrikar was able to form the first BJP government in 2000. Political stability returned to the state only when Parrikar succeeded in social engineering, winning the confidence of the Catholics in the state in the 2012 assembly elections.
This led to as many as as eight Catholics winning as BJP nominees in the state and the party winning 21 seats in the 40-member House.
Now, with the Parrikar moving to New Delhi as Defence Minister, BJP faces the tough challenge of retaining power in Goa.
The Aam Aadmi Party has now emerged as a formidable rival and the Congress, too, is in a resurrect mood. The die will be cast on February 4 to decide the next political rulers in this tiny yet vibrant state.
Sharad Shankarrao Rotkar Nice write-up Camil. I happened to be in Vasco when the referendum took place. A large number of migrant labour from Uttar Pradesh was settled in Vasco at that time and the earned their living by working at Mormugao port. These folks also played a major role in voting against merger with Maharashtra. Goa is beautiful and I spent a very memorable time there in the mid-atlantic sixties. My dad was posted there with MMTC as Deputy Regional Manager after retiring from the Army. I'd love to visit Goa and the Konkan region again.
During the first two decades after Goa’s liberation, the politics in the erstwhile Union Territory was dominated by the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) having support among mainly the Hindus and the United Goans Party which had strong base among the Catholics and the upper caste Hindus.
The MGP, led by Dayanand Bandodkar and later by his daughter Shashikala Kakodkar, ruled the state from 1963 to 1979. It was the objective of the MGP to merge Goa into Maharashtra but this goal was rejected by the people in the 1967 referendum.
The MGP accepted the people’s verdict and the party which was voted back to power in the state nonetheless has retained its nomenclature to this date.During those days, Goa, Daman and Diu Union territory had only 30 seats, of those Goa had 28 and Daman and Diu one seat each.
I remember it was jokingly said that the Union Territory had three and half ministers, three of the cabinet rank (chief minister included) and one minister of state.
Pratapsingh Rane who has been the Congress Party’s prominent face in Goa for the past three and half decades was incidentally was one of the cabinet ministers in Shashikala Kakodkar government.
Kakodkar had to resign after her government was reduced to minority in 1979. The brief spell of the President’s rule and subsequent assembly polls led to bizarre events. Goa assembly polls were held along with the mid-term polls in the country.
Indira Gandhi stormed back to power in the country and in Goa, it was the Congress (Urs) led by local leaders Pratapsinh Rane and Anant Naik which was elected to power.
Rane was elected the chief minister and the local Congress (Urs) unanimously decided to merge the party into the Congress led by Indira Gandhi. Subsequently, Rane was able to retain the chief minister’s post consecutively for a record period of 11 years.
In 1986, Goa also attained statehood, the territory also severed its link with Daman and Diu with whom it had absolutely no cultural link save the Portuguese rule. Goa’s assembly seats since then rose from 28 to 40 seats.
In 1990s, Goa witnessed a long period of political instability, leading to the game of musical chairs for the post of the state chief minister.
The instability continued even after BJP leader Manohar Parrikar was able to form the first BJP government in 2000. Political stability returned to the state only when Parrikar succeeded in social engineering, winning the confidence of the Catholics in the state in the 2012 assembly elections.
This led to as many as as eight Catholics winning as BJP nominees in the state and the party winning 21 seats in the 40-member House.
Now, with the Parrikar moving to New Delhi as Defence Minister, BJP faces the tough challenge of retaining power in Goa.
The Aam Aadmi Party has now emerged as a formidable rival and the Congress, too, is in a resurrect mood. The die will be cast on February 4 to decide the next political rulers in this tiny yet vibrant state.
Sharad Shankarrao Rotkar Nice write-up Camil. I happened to be in Vasco when the referendum took place. A large number of migrant labour from Uttar Pradesh was settled in Vasco at that time and the earned their living by working at Mormugao port. These folks also played a major role in voting against merger with Maharashtra. Goa is beautiful and I spent a very memorable time there in the mid-atlantic sixties. My dad was posted there with MMTC as Deputy Regional Manager after retiring from the Army. I'd love to visit Goa and the Konkan region again.
Sharad Shankarrao Rotkar And yes, during that period, prohibition was clamped in Maharashtra....No high spirited Goan (including guys like me) would even dream of merging with a dry State...Cheers to that!
AAP
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Congress
Daman
Dayanand Bandodkar
Diu
Goa
Laxmikant parsekar
Manohar Parrikar
MGP
Portuguese
Pratapsingh Rane
referendum
Shashikala Kakodkar
United Goans Party
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