Suggestion made to keep them indoors on counting day
MARGAO
With just three days to go for the D-day on March 10, Congress bigwigs are all expected to have an interaction with party candidates on Monday to work out a strategy to ensure the flock remains together and to nullify any poaching bid by the rivals.
Various plans are being discussed behind closed doors, how to go about on counting day so that the candidates are beyond the reach of poachers after the declaration of results.
Amongst a host of suggestions under consideration of party leadership is that the candidates should not go to the counting centres on the day of the result. Instead, their election agents should hold the fort for the candidates at the counting centres and comply with the basic requirements.
Though this proposal is being discussed in party circles, a clear cut decision is expected to be taken after Congress Election Observer P Chidambaram holds a meeting with the candidates from both North and South Goa on Monday.
“We have been told of the meeting with Chidambaram at the South Goa district office on Monday evening. A similar meeting is arranged with the candidates from North Goa earlier in the day,” informed a Congress candidate from South Goa. He pointed out that the party leadership is expected to decide on the strategy of how to go about on counting day to foil any poaching attempt by the rivals. “We have heard that a suggestion has been mooted that all the candidates should stay together on the result day and only their agents should go to the counting centres. Let’s wait and see what strategy the party leadership finally works out for the candidates on counting day,” the candidate remarked.
A senior Congress leader said the party has no issues with the integrity of the candidates, but hastened to add that one cannot rule out the possibility of agencies being pressed into operation as part of the poaching bid.
Opposition leader Digambar Kamat, GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar along with party senior national leaders had an interaction two days ago with none other than Rahul Gandhi to work out a strategy on counting day. It’s still not clear whether the party will keep the flock in Goa or shift them outside the state, say in neighbouring Maharashtra, which is ruled by the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP coalition government to keep poachers at bay. “All these questions and strategies will be put in place in the next two days. Our party leaders are working on a strategy on counting day”, the candidate added.Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Chief Girish Chodankar said the state Congress leadership has discussed with the national leadership the strategy worked out by the state leadership.
“We have put in place a full proof plan in place to keep the poachers at bay. The Congress party will not allow anyone to rob the public mandate this time round,” he asserted.When asked whether there’s any possibility of the party drawing up any strategy to shift the MLAs elect to other states to keep the flock together, Girish shot back, “We have put in place a multiple-layer strategy in place. Those who have plans to poach our MLAs elect will not succeed this time around.”
