Goa elections: How a merchant navy captain sank a political heavyweight

Dubai: Hubris has been the bane of many a politician and Churchill Alemao, who served as Goa’s chief minister for all of 19 days in 1990, has it in spades. The five-time MLA and former member of parliament was so confident of retaining his seat in the 2022 Goa assembly polls that he even declared that it was his last election. But Venzy Viegas, a former captain in the merchant navy, had other ideas.

The battleground was Benaulim, the crown jewel of South Goa’s coastal tourism belt thanks to its pristine beaches and multi-starred hotels. Alemao, 72, who has had stints in the Indian National Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, contested on an All India Trinamool Congress ticket this time. Viegas, 44, the candidate of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which failed to win a single seat in 2017, wrested the seat from Alemao by around 1,200 votes. He garnered a vote share of over 30 per cent to Alemao’s 24 per cent.

The victory ensured AAP was represented in the Goa legislative assembly for the first time. AAP got two of the 40 seats, with Cruz Silva managing to win Velim. “We may have won just two seats, but AAP is now accepted as a state party,” Viegas told Gulf News in a phone interview.“I intend to be the voice of the people in the assembly.”

Alemao, who dismissed Viegas as a baccha (child) and a “mushroom growing in the wild”, did not expect much of a contest given his money and muscle power. Viegas, 44, who had never contested any election, responded by calling Alemao a frog hopping from mushroom to mushroom, a reference to the veteran’s shifting political allegiances. He also made waves by walking into Alemao’s brother Kennedy’s house during his door-to-door campaign and seeking his support in the full glare of the national media. “I believe in resolving issues through discussion, but if confrontation is unavoidable, I’m ready for it,” Viegas said.

The master mariner with 17 years of sailing experience was building a lucrative career as a captain in the merchant navy, when Arvind Kejriwal showed up on his radar. “I noticed Kejriwal during the India Against Corruption movement and was inspired,” Viegas said. “He was talking about resolving basic issues such as electricity, water, education and health.”

My job is to legislate. It’s time to start changing mindsets in both the assembly and society.

- Venzy Viegas, AAP legislator in Goa Assembly

Viegas, who is also a lead auditor for ISM/ISO audits in ship surveys, joined AAP in 2013 by paying a membership fee of just Rs10. AAP made a formal entry into Goa for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and Viegas continued sailing even as he worked to establish the party base. His success in developing the organisation in the constituencies of Curchorem and Quepem brought him to Kejriwal’s attention. In 2016, when Viegas was still sailing, Kejriwal named him campaign manager for Fatorda constituency for the 2017 assembly elections. Viegas was eventually elevated to AAP’s state committee and began to play a larger role in building the party.

Viegas sees himself as problem solver and consensus builder thanks to his experience commanding tanker vessels. During the pandemic, Viegas and AAP helped provide life-saving medical equipment and food to needy residents and launch a helpline. He also took up the issue of stranded seafarers, even presenting a contingency plan to the government, and helped draft coastal zone management plans in Benaulim. Viegas, along with his AAP colleagues, has also been actively participating in citizen movements against coal and infrastructure projects threatening Goa’s environment.

Now a legislator, Viegas plans to table private member bills to bring people’s issues before the house. His priority is ensuring ambulance access for every Goan household and amending the sound act, which requires music in public places to stop by 10pm. “This is bad for tourism,” Viegas said. “I’m sure that we can find a mutually-beneficial solution by talking to all stakeholders.” The fact that AAP has just two seats in the 40-member house is not a concern. “My job is to legislate. It’s time to start changing mindsets in both the assembly and society,” Viegas said. “At least my bills will be in public domain. Those who oppose them can answer to the people.”

Viegas is a man on a mission. Days after taking oath, he was back among the people, joining them in opposing a highway project threatening agricultural livelihoods and promising to address the issue of unlicensed hawkers on beaches. “I intend to do my bit in creating a political will to listen to people’s ideas cutting across party lines,” he said.

Dismissed as a ‘Delhi party’ by the Goan voter in 2017, AAP’s success in the 2022 elections lay in fielding candidates with a connect to the people. “Our volunteer network has grown exponentially since 2017 thanks to our presence on the ground,” Viegas said. AAP’s vote share, however, remained around 6 per cent and prominent candidates lost. “Strategic candidates were placed to split the vote in constituencies where AAP was strong,” Viegas said.

Despite the BJP government’s numerical superiority in the assembly, Viegas believes AAP can herald a new kind of politics in Goa. “People have shown that defections will not be tolerated,” he said. “I see it as a mandate for new faces.”