Goa polls: Shiv Sena hopes to make inroads in coastal state with 'sons of soil' agenda

The Sena is contesting the polls in the coastal state in alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has fielded 13 candidates. The party's pitch for the 'sons of the soil' issue features prominently in its agenda for the assembly polls with the demand of 80 per cent of jobs in the private sector for Goans.

Mapusa (Goa): As the Shiv Sena makes yet another attempt to make inroads in Goa, its pitch for the 'sons of the soil' issue features prominently in its agenda for the assembly polls with the demand of 80 per cent of jobs in the private sector for Goans. The party has fielded 10 candidates for the 40-member Goa legislative assembly, voting for which will take place on February 14. The Sena is contesting the polls in the coastal state in alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has fielded 13 candidates. But there is no presence of the alliance partner on ground with the Sena cadre, on campaign posters or even on scarfs. Both the parties share power in Maharashtra along with the Congress as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.

Talking to the media, Shiv Sena secretary Adesh Bandekar, who was in Goa to canvass for the party candidates, said, "Our agenda will be to bat for the sons of the soil as was done by our party chief late Balasaheb Thackeray in Maharashtra. You can clearly see that the sons of the soil agenda is not being implemented here." Jitesh Kamat, party's Goa unit chief and candidate for Mapusa constituency, said, "We want justice for the sons of the soil. Our resolve is that 80 per cent of the private sector jobs should be for Goans." The Sena had earlier fielded 11 candidates in this election, but its candidate from the Panaji seat withdrew nomination in favour of Utpal Parrikar, son of late chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who is in the fray as an independent after being denied ticket by the BJP.

The Shiv Sena was formed in 1966 to safeguard the interests of the 'sons of the soil' - the Marathi manoos. It vehemently took the cause of the 'Marathi manoos' in Belgaum town in Karnataka, and batted for inclusion of Marathi speaking areas into Maharashtra. The Sena spread its wings in other parts of the state, with the Konkan region, especially the south Konkan, becoming its stronghold. In adjoining Goa, there is a sizeable presence of Marathi-speaking people. However, the Sena could never make a foray into it.

According to the Election Commission of India's data, in 1989, the Shiv Sena contested six seats in Goa, of which deposit was forfeited in five. It garnered only 6.64 per cent votes in these six seats. This has been the best ever performance of the Sena so far. In 1994, the Sena contested only two seats and lost its deposit in both. In 1999, the party fought 14 seats and lost deposit in all the seats and bagged a mere 2.74 per cent votes. In 2002, the Sena fielded 15 candidates and lost deposit in all, while in 2007, it contested on seven seats and deposit was forfeited in all seven. In 2012, the party fielded three candidates and lost deposit in all the seats. In 2017, fielded three candidates and deposit was forfeited in all three.

Anant Bagaitkar, a Delhi-based journalist who has observed the Sena for the last three decades, said although Goa has had a sizeable Marathi population, the Sena never found resonance. "The Marathi-speaking population of Goa was also protective about their culture. They accepted Marathi language, but they were very particular that their distinct identity remains," he said. In addition to that, there was little effort in building a strong organisation like the party did in Maharashtra, he added.

Kamat said the Sena gave space to Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), a regional party, as it shared the same plank. Sandesh Prabhudesai, Goa-based researcher-journalist and author of "Ajeeb Goa, Gajab Politics", said in the first elections held in 1963, the MGP was founded with the aim of merging Goa into Maharashtra. "To everyone's surprise, the party came to power by winning a majority of seats. The anti-merger camp led by the United Goans Party was pushed to the Opposition benches," Prabhudesai said.

Later, in 1967, an opinion poll was conducted to decide the issue. He said 16 constituencies voted against the merger and 12 in favour. However, in the Assembly polls held within a month, the people overwhelmingly voted in favour of the pro-merger MGP. "People of Goa have vehemently protected the Goan identity. Shiv Sena is an organisation of bhoomi putras of Maharashtra. Why will people of Goa vote for an organisation that espouses the cause of bhoomi putras of Maharashtra. What does the Goans have to do with it," he said. He said in the 1990s when Hindutva and Ram Janmabhoomi was shaping the politics in many states, the same did not work even for the BJP. In the 1980s and 90s, the Shiv Sena had adopted the Hindutva plank.

In its more than five-decades history, it has had little success outside Maharashtra. On the birth anniversary of Sena founder Bal Thackeray, his son and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said the party will try to expand its footprint outside Maharashtra and aim for a national role. In 2021, the Sena got its first MP from outside Maharashtra. Kalaben Delkar, wife of seven-time MP of Diu, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Mohan Delkar, who died by suicide in 2020, won the by-poll as a Sena candidate. But Kamat said the party is determined to improve its prospects this time.

The party has sent a team of nearly 150 Yuva Sena activists to the state to help the candidates. Party MPs, especially from the Konkan belt - Sanjay Raut, Vinayak Raut, Arvind Sawant - and Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar have come to the state for canvassing. "Even the BJP had to struggle to be what it is today. We are making a fresh start now," Kamat added when asked about his party's prospects.

PTI