MARGAO
The Congress camp witnessed a flurry of political activity throughout Sunday as reports of the imminent defection of party MLAs rent the air, even as the party leadership made a last ditch effort to keep the flock together.
While Hotel Majestic, the hotel owned by Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa, where AICC Goa desk in-charge, Dinesh Gundu Rao called for a meeting of party MLAs, was the centre of political activity, the scene shifted to Aquem at the bungalow of MLA Digambar Kamat around noon. By evening, one could find the activity spreading at Manora-Raia, the residence of Congress heavyweight Aleixo Sequeira and later at Old Market, Margao, at the residence of Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira.
Even as the developments kept unfolding, Congress leaders, including MLAs, who are in the cynosure of all eyes, however, went on a denial mode over an imminent split in the party.
In fact, all the MLAs who came to Hotel Majestic on Sunday morning, clarified before the media that there’s no move to leave the party and embrace the BJP. Many an eyebrow, however, was raised after party leaders shuttled between Hotel Majestic and Aquem, the residence of Digambar Kamat. That something concrete was cooking up became evident after Digambar Kamat headed to the residence of party heavyweight Aleixo Sequeira in the evening. After going into a huddle with Sequeira, the Margao MLA returned to Margao and was spotted entering the Old Market house of Aldona MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira, giving clear indications that all isn’t well in the principal opposition party in Goa. Earlier in the day, after the meeting with the Congress observer Dinesh Gundu Rao and other leaders in a closed door interaction at Hotel Majestic, Opposition leader Michael Lobo and Sankalp Amonkar headed to the bungalow of Digambar Kamat at Aquem. The duo was soon followed by GPCC chief Amit Patkar. After they went into a huddle with Kamat for around half an hour, they all came out, including Kamat in their respective cars and headed to different directions.
While Michael, Sankalp and Patkar returned to Hotel Majestic, Kamat’s vehicle was spotted on the eastern bypass at Nuvem. He is later believed to have descended at the residence of MLA Aleixo Sequeira at Manora-Raia.
Incidentally, after Dinesh Gundu Rao along with Opposition leader Michael Lobo and Sankalp Amonkar headed to Panaji in one vehicle in the evening to address the media, GPCC chief Amit Patkar and his predecessor Girish Chodankar headed to Old Market to have a tete-a-tete with Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira.
What’s interesting to note is that moments later, MLA Digambar Kamat also descended at the residence of Carlos Alvares Ferreira and was huddled with the Aldona MLA for some time.
Political observers have attached importance to Kamat’s sudden visit to the residence of Aleixo Sequeira and Carlos Alvares Ferreira. Observers say the Margao MLA must have called on the two MLAs to convey an important message in respect of the political developments unfolding in the State.
