MARGAO
Bureaucrat-turned-politician and former Aam Aadmi Party state convenor, Elvis Gomes appears all set to embrace the Congress.
While the Congress high command is believed to have cleared all decks for his entry into the party after he called on top Congress functionaries in the national capital, the development is being keenly watched by the Cuncolim Congress camp led by Yuri Alemao.
Sources in the Elvis camp disclosed that the former bureaucrat may join the Congress during the weekend as the high command is believed to have given all clear signals for his entry into the party.
Elvis, when contacted, did not deny the reports, even going to the extent of saying that the planned entry into the Congress may take place during the weekend on Sunday.
Political observers say the entry of the former AAP state convenor is bound to trigger hectic political activity in the Cuncolim Congress, more so after the father-son duo of Joaquim and Yuri had taken a firm grip of the party in Cuncolim constituency.
Being before their admission into the Congress fold, Yuri had led the party campaign in last year’s Zilla Panchayat election for the Guirdolim seat, coming under the Cuncolim constituency. After their entry into the party last year, the father-son duo fielded a panel under the Congress banner and managed to win majority seats to keep the BJP at bay at the Cuncolim Municipal Council.
While the father-son duo was given a warm welcome by the state Congress leaders led by GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar and Opposition leader Digambar Kamat last year, observers have been trying to figure out whether the party leadership had handed out any assurance to the Alemao’s over the ticket for Yuri in 2022.
The Alemao’s control the Cuncolim block Congress Committee, with their close aide Assiz Norohna heading the panel. The Alemao’s also claim that they have proved a point or two in respect of their vote bank in the constituency after having won the Cuncolim Civic polls. Elvis Gomes, sources say, may emerge as a challenger in Yuri’s bid for the Congress ticket in the 2022 elections.
