It is the universal belief that money power will decide the outcome of the elections to the POINGUINIM CONSTITUENCY. RAJAN NARAYAN warns of the consequences of letting money power prevail over basic democratic values. JONQUIL SUDHIR talks to Political Stalwarts to find out why money has become a Key Factor in Goa's electoral politics.

IT MAY NOT BE RAINING IN the rest of Goa. The meteorological department is worried about the deficit in the quantity of rainfall. But there is one part of amchem bangarachem Goem which has been receiving extremely heavy showers. It is not pouring cats and dogs or rhinoceroses or hippopotami in the Poinguinim constituency. It is raining Imperial Blue, and Royal Stag and Honey Bee. It is raining chicken and mutton. It is a non-stop downpour. The rain of goodies is expected to continue and intensify till its reaches its climax on polling day 13th October, 2004.

Poinguinim is witnessing the kind of downpour that Taleigao witnessed during the last Assembly elections. And more recently during the panchayat elections. As in the case of Taleigao not just suitcases but truckloads of money are moving into Poinguinim. And Babush Monserrate will be personally supervising the distribution from the presidential suite at the seven-star deluxe intercontinental hotel in Canacona. Because Babush does not trust anyone. And always ensures that he is guaranteed a return on his guaranteed a return on his investment. And Babush Monserrate style the downpour will not be limited to booze and chicken and hard cash. As it happened in Taleigao not just sarees and utensils and footwear but mobiles and even two-wheelers will be distributed.

Cover story...(Goan Observer, September 25-October 1, 2004).

Other politicians also distribute money. Indeed all politicians to a lesser or the greater extent rely on muscle and money power to win elections. But few if any have developed the use or rather the abuse of money power and muscle power to such a fine art as Babush Monserrate has.

Babush Monserrate does not just distribute money. He ensures that he gets his money’s worth. The bikes that are so generously distributed are all bought on hire purchase. Only the first instalment is paid. If the recipient does not deliver or shows any tendency to double cross Babush, further instalments stop and the bike is promptly repossessed. Even when cash is disbursed only half is paid in advance. The other half is paid only on proof that the recipient has voted for the candidate endorsed by Babush. And Babush has no problem about finding out who voted for him.

While use and abuse of money and muscle power in elections has become routine never before has it been done in such a cold blooded calculated fashion as is being done in Poinguinim. Normally politicians atleast maintain the pretence of campaigning on the basis of manifestos and programmes and policies. In the case of the Poinguinim bye-elections there is not even an attempt to mask the blatant flagrant unashamed unabashed unscrupulous unprincipled and malafied misuse of money and muscle power. Indeed the Poinguinim bye-elections itself is a diabolical conception. The bye-election was born by the illegitimate mating of an avaricious Isidore Fernandes with a unscrupulous Manohar Parrikar. Isidore is alleged to have received sizeable amount for resigning. And equally if not larger amounts are being showered on Poinguinim to ensure his re-election on the BJP ticket.

The message that is being sent out is that everyone is purchasable. The message an arrogant Manohar Parrikar and the megalomaniacal Babush Monserrate are sending out is that Goans or at least their votes are buyable. That provided the right price is paid all Goan voters or atleast the voters of Poinguinim will be anxious and willing to ignore all the sins of omission and commission on the part of Isidore Fernandes and re-elect him on the lotus symbol. That money would erase any memories of the treachery of Isidore Fernandes in defecting from the congress into the BJP for purely monetary considerations. That money would make voters forget that the BJP is rabidly communal party. A party whose conspiracy to infect Goa with the Hindutva virus already stands exposed. The message that Parrikar and company are sending out is that Goans have no values. Goans have no sense of right and wrong. That for a price they will aid and abet and collude and connive in all the illegalities and the immoralities of the saffron brigade and its collaborators.

Our fear and apprehension is that if the BJP does succeed in its conspiracy to buy the voters of Poinguinim it would set a dangerous precedence not just for Goa or for the country but for democracy. A BJP victory in Poinguinim will only reinforce the belief of Parrikar and his accomplices that the votes of Goans are up for sale. That Goans will for a price sell their souls to the devil. Isidore in defecting from the congress to the BJP has in a manner of speaking stolen and sold the kidneys of the voters of Poinguinim to the saffron brigade. By re-electing Isidore the voters in Poinguinim will be sending out the message that Goans are a group of mercenaries for whom poise is all important.

We are alarmed, agitated and deeply disturbed about the conspiracy on the part of the chief minister Manohar Parrikar aided and abetted by Babush Monserrate to very consciously and deliberately subvert the electoral process. Subvert the electoral process by very scientific and very meticulous abuse of money power. None of the trio Parrikar, Isidore and Babush have any compunctions whatsoever about using money power openly unashamedly to capture power. Unlike other politicians who might be a little diffident or at least put up the pretence of being diffident and apologetic and just a bit ashamed of using money power, the terrible threesome believe that anything and everything can be purchased. That money power is not just a factor but the decisive factor in winning elections. Poinguinim is a test case. And if the trio succeeds in Poinguinim it will reinforce their belief and conviction that they can buy up every constituency in Goa. And indeed Goa itself.

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