Panaji: For a party that prides itself on discipline, BJP in Goa is showing signs of an increasingly competitive — and somewhat uneasy — house.With the Feb 2027 assembly elections drawing closer, party MLAs, including ministers, are beginning to look beyond the boundaries of their own constituencies, seeking to build influence and expand their political footprint elsewhere.What may appear to be routine political outreach is increasingly being seen as a contest for space, influence and relevance within the party.The moves have not gone unnoticed. BJP state president Damodar Naik said, the party will “put its house in order”.For BJP, the challenge now is to ensure that the scramble for political turf does not turn into an internal battle that could overshadow its preparations for the 2027 polls, a political observer said.Revenue minister and BJP Panaji MLA Atanasio ‘Babush‘ Monserrate was first to announce the opening of a new office in Santa Cruz constituency, which he represented in 2012 after winning on a Congress ticket. Monserrate said the office would help the party win the seat, but the move did not go down well with incumbent BJP Santa Cruz MLA Rudolf Fernandes.“I am the only minister from Tiswadi taluka and that is why I have decided to open the office in Santa Cruz constituency. Let’s help the people of Santa Cruz,” he said.When asked whether he wanted to contest from Santa Cruz constituency in the next assembly election, Monserrate said, “As far as the candidate for Santa Cruz constituency is concerned, it would be decided by the party.”Monserrate and Fernandes locked their horns over the office, and the issue was discussed at the party level. Naik intervened, but there was no outcome.“Monserrate is calling my support to shift on his side and he is stopping my work. He can open 10 offices if he was in opposition, i have no issue but he is a revenue minister in our govt,” Fernandes said.Apprehending his constituency may be reserved for the ST community in the 2027 assembly election, drinking water minister and BJP Sanguem MLA Subhash Phal Dessai entered neighbouring Curchorem to start campaigning. Sitting BJP Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral was upset with the development.“I don’t want to speak on the issue that the party will take a decision. I have done a lot of work and as there is no work to be done, a lot of aspirants must be showing interest in my constituency. I cannot decide on my ticket, but the party will decide and people will decide to elect me,” Cabral said.Naik said the party did not give any permission to start campaigning in other constituencies and said the party would question Dessai on why he started campaigning in Curchorem.“Party is watching and the party will take a stand at the right time. If anyone thinks that someone is doing something extra, then there are no such things. We have seen this up and down since the time of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar and the party is capable of resolving these issues,” Naik said.Besides MLAs asserting themselves in constituencies represented by BJP, party members also started campaigning against their own MLAs to seek tickets.Recently, joint secretary in the chief minister office (CMO) Sanket Arsekar resigned from his post in the CMO to start campaigning in Sanvordem constituency, which is represented by BJP’s Ganesh Gaonkar, the assembly speaker.Arsekar said he would not go back after he cleared his intention to jump into electoral politics. Gaonkar tried to play it down, saying many people organise birthday bashes in an election year. “30,000 people in my constituency have a right to contest the assembly election,” Gaonkar said.The turf battle is not just among BJP MLAs. It is also beginning to create unease among the party’s grassroots members.While some BJP MLAs are weighing their chances elsewhere too, party karyakartas appear to want their elected representatives to stay put and seek re-election from the constituencies they currently represent.The disquiet was visible in Sanguem, where local BJP members and members of local bodies met Dessai and questioned his decision to move to another constituency.The BJP Sanguem members also took aim at Naik’s remarks about acting against sitting MLAs. They questioned whether Naik himself could win from Fatorda, where GFP’s Vijai Sardesai is the sitting MLA.“How can Damu Naik speak that he will act against the MLAs? First, he should defeat Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai and then speak,” BJP Sanguem members said.“Party has become big in the state and everybody is enthusiastic about expanding the party and it is good. But it should not disturb and it should be done in harmony,” Naik said.
