Alliance politics heats up ahead of polls next year

State RSS chief’s sacking leads to rumble in BJP, with suspense over which party alliance partners MGP, Shiv Sena would align with

Goa, otherwise just another peaceful tourist destination, is in the spotlight after the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) removed its state chief, Subhash Velingkar, for predicting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would lose elections to the 40-member state Assembly slated for early 2017. Velingkar, who has been instrumental in the growth and development of the RSS network in Goa for 55 years, was also charged with working against the state government, for faulting the party and showing a black flag to BJP President Amit Shah during his Goa trip.

The BJP has termed the entire issue the RSS’ internal affair and decided not to enter into any argument with Velingkar. However, Velingkar’s announcement — that a new political outfit, the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), created by him would contest the elections —has kicked up a storm in the BJP. The BBSM has been fighting for withdrawal of grants to English medium schools and for the cause of promoting regional languages as the medium of instruction (MoI) in Goa. What’s worrying the BJP further is Velingkar’s scathing allegation that Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is “cheating” the state by not fulfilling poll promises.

The BBSM has already finalised candidates in 35 Assembly constituencies while keeping open the option of forming an alliance with like-minded parties, including the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the Shiv Sena. The BBSM has also asked the MGP to break its alliance with the ruling BJP and join hands with the BBSM. Velingkar and Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut have already held preliminary talks in which the latter has offered to sacrifice some seats in the interest of forming a formidable alliance against the BJP.

Velingkar has clarified he has no political ambitions and does not want the post of chief minister. He said his resolve was to teach the BJP a lesson. He defended his move to float a political outfit, saying some leaders wanted to dictate terms and that he and his supporters could not compromise on ideology. “We will remain swayamsevaks till our last breath,” he said. “Sarsanghchalak can be wrong, but not the Sangh.”

At present, state government grants are provided to Catholic Church-run English medium schools; non-Catholic Church-run English medium schools are calling this an injustice. Velingkar alleged that if these grants are continued, the culture of Goa would be destroyed but Portuguese culture will undergo a revival. He reminded the government that ahead of the 2012 Assembly polls, the BJP had promised to withdraw such grants but after coming to power, it did not.

He, along with his supporters, is in the midst of launching statewide tours in the run-up to the Assembly elections — this, despite the RSS disowning the separate Goa unit.

The new Goa chief of the RSS, Laxman Behare, reiterated Velingkar’s view that the BJP government should have stuck to its prepoll promise of implementing regional languages as the MoI in schools and withdraw grants to English medium schools. However, Laxman said the state RSS would use all means within the framework of the Constitution to express its concerns to the state government and demand the implementation of regional languages as the MoI.

Without taking names, Behare said that after winning the 2012 polls, the BJP seemed to drift away from its earlier commitment on MoI. “Unlike the RSS, which is committed to the cause of protecting Indian culture, the BJP is a political party,” he said. “That may have several ‘political’ repercussions or implications while taking decisions. These might be the reason for non-implementation of MoI.”

Velingkar’s moves have forced the BJP to swing into action. The party has initiated a dialogue with the MGP in a bid to continue their alliance, though the MGP has off late been vocal about being “ill-treated” and “neglected” as a partner of the BJP.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, the Goa poll in-charge of the BJP, held separate meetings with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and MGP leaders in an attempt to keep the alliance intact. Earlier in the week, BJP legislators from Goa had unanimously decided to continue their alliance with the MGP.

The MGP is keeping its cards close to its chest. The party’s executive is holding a crucial internal meeting on September 25 to review the present political situation and discuss its poll alliance with the BJP. MGP Goa unit chief Deepak Dhavalikar said: “Our party is keen to fight the Assembly polls in alliance with the BJP. However, the alliance won’t be at the cost of compromising the MGP’s interests. The BJP should not be selfish; it should be ready to take into account the MGP’s proposal with an open mind.” The bottom line: MGP wants to contest at least 14 of the 40 Assembly seats.

Dhavalikar said the promotion of regional languages was a key issue in the elections and would be played up during the poll campaign. “The BJP has to resolve it as the party draws flak,” he said. The MGP and the BJP would be able to close a deal by December 15, not before that date, he added.

For the BJP, the task is challenging: It needs to counter anti-incumbency as well as pacify voters on the issue of promotion of regional languages as the MoI. The party cannot hurt Christian voters by taking any summary decision on the withdrawal of grants to Church-run English schools.

Some BJP leaders said the split in the RSS might cost the party dear. A large number of youth and RSS swayamsevaks, who have joined Velingkar’s party, are active on social media against the BJP. Further, despite being a partner of the BJP at the Centre as well as in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena is criticising the BJP on every possible issue — be it terrorism, inflation or promotion of regional languages. The BJP fears the Sena’s support to Velingkar might impact its traditional vote bank.

The BJP hopes to regain its hold by making Goa’s development one of its poll planks. The party proposes to streamline mining, promote more industrialisation, implement development projects worth more than ~20,000 crore bestowed on the state by the Centre. The party will also have to assure administrative reform for further transparency in an attempt to counter the Aam Aadmi Party.

Ironically, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party do not seem inclined to form a pre-poll alliance. It is up to the voters to decide whether to maintain status quo or bring about a change.