CANACONA
The Congress party on Tuesday declared Janardhan Bhandari as its party candidate for Canacona, but dissent is already brewing among other ticket aspirants in the constituency.
A series of activities, being seen as a revolt within the Congress party, began almost immediately with at least one of the ticket aspirants planning to support an independent candidate against the party.
Mahadev Dessai, one of the ticket aspirants, feels the party has cheated on him and accused the party of a “setting” to gift Canacona seat to the BJP.
Dessai shot off a letter to Congress leaders, AICC in-charge of Goa Dinesh Gundu Rao, GPCC President and others, Dessai explained his inability to attend the party meeting convened on Tuesday night.
“I was surprised to be denied the party ticket and I have realised that party tickets are not given on merit, loyalty and winnability,” said Dessai.
“Jana (Janardhan Bhandari) is my friend. Jana knows me and knows who among us is better for 2022. I am also tired and disturbed because the Congress leadership has failed party workers in Canacona,”
“I am highly disturbed, but it is not because I did not get the ticket. I am disturbed because Congress will lose the Canacona seat. I have done door-to-door in tribal locations and other areas. I have a team working for six months. Jana has not been at the ground level in Canacona. Please ask anyone here.”
“The ticket should have been given to me on the basis of loyalty, winnability, integrity and ability,” Dessai added.
Dessai, a former CMC chairperson, had been campaigning hard for the past three months and had completed 75% of door-to-door campaigning along with some block members. He had even opened a party campaigning office at Chaudi.
Former Goa Cricket Association president Chetan Desai, another ticket aspirant, was also unhappy and was in talks with his core supporters, including the ruling Canacona councillors, to plan their future strategy.
Sources close to Dessai said the party ticket has been allotted to a “weak candidate” to benefit a former Canacona MLA, who is close to a top Congress leader from South Goa.
Hectic talks are also underway with the seven ruling councillors to field CMC Chairperson Simon Rebello to neutralise that ex-MLA.
Incidentally, news of dissent brewing among Congress leaders in Canacona spread thick and fast.
The NCP has reportedly approached a few disgruntled leaders and offered them the chance to contest on the NCP symbol to defeat the Congress and BJP in the Canacona constituency.
