Margao: Chief minister Pramod Sawant’s announcement on Wednesday that four constituencies — Quepem, Sanguem, Nuvem and Priol — are likely to be reserved for Scheduled Tribes has triggered a fresh scramble among aspirants hunting for safe seats ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.Quepem, currently held by Congress MLA Altone D’Costa, has moved to the centre of the churn. D’Costa, who defeated BJP’s Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar in 2022, told TOI he would be comfortable contesting from Velim, Navelim, or Canacona in 2027, and said he has already discussed these options with Congress.The announcement has also sharpened focus on Sanguem MLA Subhash Phal Dessai and his next move. He recently stirred controversy by publicly signalling interest in Curchorem, a seat held by BJP’s Nilesh Cabral. BJP acted quickly to contain the fallout, and Phal Dessai was forced into a hurried, if reluctant, retreat. The episode has made him more guarded. “I have left my choice of constituency in the hands of the party. It will assess and analyse my prospects and choose a constituency for me. I will accept whatever decision it takes,” he told reporters on Thursday.Tribal aspirants in Sanguem, meanwhile, appear buoyant. Former MLA Prasad Gaonkar, who largely stayed out of the public eye after his 2022 defeat, has suddenly re-emerged, speaking enthusiastically about Sanguem’s “vikas”.Nuvem is shaping up as the most closely watched of the four. Sitting MLA Aleixo Sequeira, who crossed over from Congress to BJP after the 2022 polls, has said he intends to contest in 2027 regardless, adding that he would “cross the bridge when I come to it”. An ST reservation would also disrupt the comeback plans of former MLA Francisco Xavier ‘Mickky’ Pacheco, who has indicated that either he or his wife, Viola, would contest from Nuvem. Former MLA Wilfred D’Sa and newer aspirants — such as former Goa Vikas Party president Lyndon Monteiro and Congress functionary Everson Vales — would also be affected. Several are believed to be scouting adjoining constituencies as a fallback.In Priol, the possibility of the seat being reserved has strengthened comeback hopes for Govind Gaude, while also intensifying positioning within tribal community networks in Ponda taluka. Non-tribal aspirants eyeing Priol are reportedly weighing alternatives within Ponda, or in nearby Marcaim and Shiroda.With the final contours of the reservation still awaited, party strategists across the political spectrum have kept their cards close to their chests, leaving aspirants to quietly test the ground in neighbouring constituencies.
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