PANAJI
Speaking to The Goan late on Friday evening, Adv Desai stated, "I have decided not to contest. I wouldn't wish to disclose the reasons. But I have discussed the matter with senior Congress leaders."
Meanwhile, Congress national secretary in-charge of Goa desk Dr A Chellakumar convened an emergency meeting on Friday night to deliberate the matter with state Congress bigwigs.
"We will declare the Congress candidate by Monday," Dr Chellakumar said.
Sources disclosed that Chellakumar visited Adv Desai at his residence in Altinho, Panaji on Friday morning to discuss the offer of candidature with him. However, the meeting did not bear fruit.
The round of deliberations among top Congress leaders including Chellakumar and Leader of Opposition Chandrakant "Babu" Kavalekar continued well into the night with the party's decision-makers returning to the drawing board with its primary list of nominees. Congress general secretaries Adv Yatish Naik and Sunil Kawthankar are among the names which were discussed.
Interestingly, Congress president Shantaram Naik has been conspicuously absent from these happenings, which could eventually spell the future of the present coalition government.
Naik, who is presently in Delhi, is expected to arrive in the state only on Saturday evening and has said that he is not aware if Adv Desai is being considered by the party to contest against Parrikar.
