Goa 2022: AAP and Kejriwal gamble on the Bhandari card in the coastal state

Elections in Goa since 1963 have largely been free of caste and religious considerations. However, the 2022 assembly election could see a change with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) naming Amit Palekar from the Bhandari community as its chief ministerial candidate.

Hindus account for 68% of the population, followed by Christians (25%) and Muslims (7%). Bhandaris are said to accountfor 33% of the Hindus though there is no official count of population on community lines except in the case of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Political parties have always cultivated the community, fielding Bhandaris in 13-odd constituencies out of 40, where they are believed to constitute a significant portion of the electorate.

The only chief minister from the community however has been Ravi Naik from the Congress way back in 1991. He held the post twice, the second time for a brief period of six days in 1994. Shripad Naik, another leader from the community and a veteran BJP leader in the state, was not considered for the top job.

Many in the community voice their disgruntlement at the neglect of the community despite its numbers. AAP, all of whose candidates except one lost their deposit in the 2017 assembly election, is aggressively wooing the Bhandari Samaj, hoping to take advantage of the discontent.

Other parties too have named various leaders from the Samaj as their nominees, and several of them are pitted against one another. If Bhandari votes get divided, margins of victory, which have been small in any case, will get smaller and the race tighter.

While AAP is optimistic about the success of its Bhandari card, it remains to be seen if Goans and the Bhandari Samaj get swayed by the gamble. By declaring its chief ministerial face long before polling, which has been done for the first time in the state, AAP is hoping its gamble would pay off.

The party however lacks local connect in most constituencies and several observers believe AAP is counting its chicken before the eggs are hatched.

(This article was first published in National Herald on Sunday)