Margao: Election fever is catching on as 2027 draws closer, with BJP state general secretary Narendra Sawaikar setting the local political grapevine buzzing earlier this week with a cryptic post on Facebook.“Rohan got ‘sanket’ (a signal) that two fighter jets had taken off. Now, the Airport Authority has begun the task of searching for this runway!” Sawaikar wrote in Konkani — a line that had political circles busy decoding.For those familiar with local politics, decoding Sawaikar’s lines wasn’t difficult. Speaking at a function held to mark a badminton tournament in Curchorem earlier this month, Rohan Gauns Dessai — who has made known his intention to contest from Curchorem — referred to himself and Sanket Arsekar, also keen on contesting from neighbouring Sanvordem, as the two fighter jets set to be launched shortly. He explained the metaphor: “A normal aircraft taking off barely makes a sound, but a fighter jet produces a ground-shuddering roar — and with two fighter jets taking off together, a louder sound is only natural.”Sawaikar’s wordplay runs deeper. Sanket means hint or signal in Konkani, and also happens to be the first name of Arsekar. What’s significant – and perhaps a tad inconvenient for BJP – is that both Curchorem and Sanvordem constituencies have sitting BJP MLAs — Nilesh Cabral and Ganesh Gaunkar, respectively. Both Gauns Dessai and Arsekar are staunch BJP workers.“Read that way, Sawaikar’s ‘runway’ search looks more like the party’s own dilemma,” a political observer succinctly said.Gauns Dessai has been busy sponsoring cricket and badminton tournaments in Curchorem, drawing crowds of youths, and has overseen the cleaning of more than 100 wells in the constituency before the monsoon set in. “We have come forward to do all this, purely intending to uplift our society and help the overall development of the local youths. This is not an election stunt,” Gauns Dessai said at the function. Cabral has publicly voiced his displeasure at the party’s failure to rein in such activities that overshadow his own work in the constituency.In Sanvordem, Arsekar has been keeping equally busy — funding internet connectivity for a remote village, constructing a road to another, and providing a school bus to a govt school at Kalay.“Whether all this constitutes social work or campaign strategy is anybody’s guess, and depends entirely on the beholder,” a political commentator said.
