Turncoats, pandemic fallout thorns in flesh for BJP ahead of Goa polls

Even as the Opposition assailed the government's "disastrous" pandemic management, a blame game ensued between CM Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane

In May 2020, when the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country, Goa declared itself a “green zone” state, without a single case. Emboldened by its “standout” status, Goa – the economy of which is largely powered by tourism -- kept its borders open for visitors from its pandemic-afflicted neighbours, notably Maharashtra, as well as other states. “We are a tourism state. There are 10 times more tourists than our population (1.53 million). If there’s no tourism, other business activities come to a standstill,” said Nilesh Cabral, minister for non-conventional sources of energy and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)