MARGAO
A day after the debacle in the Zilla Panchayat polls, senior Congress leader and South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha on Wednesday squarely blamed the party leadership for the party’s disastrous performance.
The MP also blamed the people in the Congress, who had taken the decision to contest the Zilla Panchayat polls on the party banner.
“I totally blame the party leadership for the party debacle in the elections. I also blame the people who had taken the decision to contest the election on the party banner. These people are political novices and they took these decisions without taking the seniors into confidence,” he told the media on Wednesday.
He added: “These political novices do not take the seniors into confidence and some of them even call the seniors, who are still getting elected, as grandfathers. Everybody should understand that any organization should be a combination of seniors and juniors. Seniors who have been getting elected and the juniors who dream of getting elected.”
When the media sought to know whether he refers to the Delhi leadership or the local party leadership, the MP made it very clear that he blames the local party leadership behind the party’s debacle.
He, however, refused to name any of the party leader responsible for the performance in the ZP polls. He even made it clear that he is not referring to small-time leaders, but those responsible for taking decisions. “You should know who are these leaders responsible for the debacle,” he added when the media requested him to unveil the names.
The MP also took a dig at the ruling BJP for the attempts to dilute the ongoing agitation against the three linear projects by interpreting the ZP mandate as being against the agitation.
“It is wrong to think on those lines. There’s no connection between the ZP elections and the decisions on the linear projects. Even if the opposition had to win all seats, the ZPs can only recommend to the government to take decisions,” he said.
“We must protect Goa for future generations. If people can change the governments in five years, there’s no harm in changing decisions on the controversial projects,” he said, adding, “Since Goa is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the State’s Liberation, the government should not punish the people, but do what they want.”
