the goan I network
MARGAO
Buoyed by the recent success in the Lok Sabha election for the South Goa constituency with the Congress regaining the seat after five years, the Congress leaders have now set their sights on the coming Assembly election due in two years, with party leaders urging workers to work hard to bring the party back to power in the State.
Taking the platform of the felicitation function of South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha organised by the South Goa district Congress Committee here on Saturday, senior leaders exhorted the workers to reach out to the people, with AICC secretary Goa desk Amit Deshmukh asserting that Congress can return to power with a two-third majority.
Be it former Chief Ministers, Pratapsing Rane and Ravi Naik or Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar, they all exuded confidence of the party returning to power as they exhorted the workers to brace for the coming Assembly election.
In his address, Amit Deshmukh said he has no doubt that party MLAs and the MP along with party workers and leaders will work on the ground and deliver a 2/3rd majority in the coming election. “This is a challenge all of us. We have to work hard for victory and galvanize party cadre ahead of the Assembly election”, he said, while saying Francisco Sardinha won the South Goa seat when the party was facing a testing time across the State.
Former chief minister Pratapsing Rane, who felicitated Sardinha, said Congress can return to power in Goa if the party leaders and workers unite for the benefit of the people. He also said Sardinha should find a place in the Union Council of Ministers as and when the Congress returns to power at the Centre.
GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar urged workers to go to the booth-level across the constituencies to strengthen the party organization, saying the recently-held Lok Sabha poll has showed that the Congress vote share has gone up significantly, which holds good for the party in the coming Assembly polls. “Let us prepare ourselves for the coming Assembly election, which may even come early.
If we unite and strengthen the booth committees, there’s no doubt that the Congress can return to power”, Girish said, exuding confidence that the party can get 25-26 seats.
In his address, former chief minister Ravi Naik made a fervent plea to party leaders not to set their own house on fire. “We have to fight unitedly to win the coming Assembly election due in two years”, Ravi said, stressing the need to galvanize the party at the booth level.
Leader of the Opposition Babu Kavlekar said the Lok Sabha election has showed that the vote share of the party has gone up significantly which will keep the party in good stead in the future.
Almost all speakers pointed out that Francisco Sardinha was the right choice for the South Goa seat as evident by his victory in the just concluded election. The AICC secretary Amit Deshmukh made a mention of district Congress committee headed by president Joe Dias for recommending Sardinha’s name for the ticket without any hesitation.
In his reply, MP Sardinha promised the people that he would take up their issues in Parliament and outside, pointing out that he is the ambassador between Goa and the Centre. “Don’t hesitate to approach me with your grievances. I will take up your issues in Delhi”, he said, saying he will not lag in fulling expectations of Goans.
Party MLAs Reginaldo Lourenco, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Clafacio Dias, Isidore Fernandes, Wilfred D’Sa and party leaders were present for the function.
