the goan I network
MARGAO
The dust raised in the just concluded Lok Sabha poll is gradually settling down, but the task appears cut out for the opposition Congress to tone up its organizational base to brace up for the battles ahead.
For, the recently held elections for the Lok Sabha and the bypoll for the State Assembly has exposed the chinks in the party organization, with the party found wanting in the second rung leadership, but was left high and dry in many segments for want of any organization worth its name. That the party had no option than to field candidates in Shiroda, Mapusa and now Panjim, who resigned from other political parties and had to lean on 73-year three-time former MP in a bid to regain the South Goa Lok Sabha seat, indicates the absence of second rung leaders in the party.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Chief, Girish Chodankar, who himself threw his hat in the North Goa Lok Sabha electoral ring, though he hails from South Goa, frankly conceded that the party has a long way to go to face the future battles. “I had assumed charge of the Congress organization only around 10 months ago. A lot more needs to be done, especially on the question of grooming young and second rung leaders to take over the leadership”, Girish told The Goan.
He, however, pointed out that the bypolls are a totally different ball game and the party had to bank on candidates, who were till recently were members of others parties, as part of the strategy. “The Congress had its own candidates in Shiroda, but had to opt for former BJP minister Mahadev Naik after his candidature was cleared by the party leadership”, he said.
Congress leaders in the know say that strengthening the blocks and the grass roots seemed to have been still confined to the paper. Strange it may seem, but true that the Congress virtually ran out of ideas in its bid to save the party fort from crumbling in
