1. No Roti-Kapda-Makaan!
Goa is the richest state in India with per capita income more than double of the national average. Central government agencies say it has the best infrastructure and has the best quality of life. So, usual issues like roti-kapda-makaan or bijli-sadak-pani are not even discussed here! In fact, there is no clear statewide election issue here. Opposition has made corruption an issue, but there are no major scams. Rare to find in India an election with no big issues.
2. Netas Without Security!
Crime rate in Goa is lower compared to other states, so that is also not a major issue here. Top political leaders roam freely without security here. The most shocking sight would be of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar standing quietly on a Panaji road waiting for his car alone. Despite Z security and threat perception outside the state, he doesn’t find it necessary to carry guards around in his home state. Goa has a heavy presence of foreign tourists, yet it has thankfully never faced any terror attack.
3. MLA for Your Child's Birthday!
Goa has 11 lakh voters and 40 seats in the Assembly. So any constituency has an average of only 27,000 voters! That’s smaller than the size of a ward of many municipal corporations in the rest of India. In a four-way fight, a candidate needs only 7 or 8 thousand votes to win. A difference of a hundred votes can turn victory into defeat!
The bright side is that a candidate knows many of his voters personally. Door-to-door campaign is possible and spending time with individual voters is mandatory here. In fact, voters expect their MLA to know them by name and even want him to attend the birthday parties of their children!
4. Muft! Muft!! Muft!!!
If you’re a housewife or a senior citizen in Goa, the BJP government has been giving you a fixed amount every month. It has also been doling out money to girls for marriage. It has promised more doles. The AAP has gone a step ahead and promised to add a number of more such schemes.
Freebies, conveniently termed as “social welfare schemes” might help the BJP in polls, but they are making people dependent and burning a hole in the pocket of state government. Observers feel Goa is going the Tamil Nadu way, where elections are all about who’s doling out what.
5. Netas Admit Cash for Votes!
Since constituencies are smaller and stakes are higher, money is flowing in the state that is famous for free-flowing booze! From Kejriwal to Parrikar, all have admitted it in public rallies and have been sent notices for it.
Go into a village and talk to people. They will tell you that the rate ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 depending on the constituency and other factors.
6. Divine Intervention in Polls!
Church can potentially influence one third of the votes in this state as it issues “guidelines” to its followers about who to vote! Although it doesn’t mention the name of any party, the message is subtly passed on. Several priests have endorsed candidates from the pulpit of the church. So, many political leaders hold meetings with priests, but only some meetings attract limelight. Like the secret meeting between a representative of the Archbishop and BJP leaders including Parrikar & Gadkari.
7. Goans Not Political Animals
Unlike Biharis or Andhraites, Goans don’t wear their party affiliations on their sleeves. You need to spend time with them to know what their leanings are. In fact, you’d be surprised to meet many Goans, who are not-so-excited about politics as well as ongoing polls.
Despite high voting percentage and thriving social movements, interestingly, Goans don’t come across as political animals. Is it an extension of the sushegat (take-it-easy) culture? Or due to prosperity and literacy? Experts should find out!
8. Goans Banned From Entering Goan Casinos?
Lakhs of tourists throng Goa to visit the casinos, for Goa is one of the two states in India where casinos are allowed; the second one being Sikkim. But the government is always under pressure from locals to crack down on these gambling hotspots. So, in 2012, the Parrikar government amended the Gambling Act and banned locals from entering casinos!
But it could never implement the impractical ban. Five years have passed and it has still not found a mahurat to do make Goans sanskari again!
9. Speak Konkani, but Read Marathi
In 1967, a referendum was held in Goa, the only one so far in India, to decide whether Goa would remain a separate entity or be merged with Maharashtra. Language was an important issue in that battle among other factors. Marathi speakers called Konkani its dialect, while Konkani speakers considered it as a separate language.
Eventually, Konkani won and got the recognition as an independent language and also as the state language of Goa. But there is little tradition of written Konkani and it will take time to develop. So, interestingly, election rallies are generally held in Konkani, but people read about them in Marathi newspapers. And then discuss the contents with each other again in Konkani! While Marathi newspapers are thriving in the state, unfortunately, there’s only one Konkani newspaper with a meagre circulation.
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