the goan I network
MARGAO
With the Election Commission expected to announce the bypolls any time, the Congress party is geared up to go all guns blazing in a bid to retain Shiroda and checkmate Subhash Shirodkar and the BJP in the constituency.
A host of senior Congress MLAs and party leaders are all bracing to enter Shiroda in a big way to drum up support for the party candidate in the ensuing bypoll. While former Chief Minister and Ponda strongman MLA Ravi Naik has been made in-charge of Shiroda, a number of party MLAs and leaders have been earmarked certain panchayat areas in the constituency.
MLAs Reginaldo Lourenco, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Wilfred D’Sa and Clafacio Dias have been roped in on the panel by the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee as in-charge of certain areas in Shiroda.
Former MP Francisco Sardinha, sources said, has been made in-charge of certain areas of Borim and Shiroda panchayat areas as part of the party game plan to involve the leadership in the election campaign.
Ravi Naik’s son Ritesh has also been roped in by the party leadership, even as GPCC chief Girish Chodankar has appointed Pradip Naik as the general secretary in-charge of Shiroda, besides five secretaries. “We are all geared up for the battle for Shiroda. We have shortlisted a number of party MLAs and senior leaders who will descend in Shiroda for the poll campaign,” GPCC chief Girish Chodankar told The Goan on Thursday.
He said though doubts have been raised in certain circles over the holding of the bypolls, the Congress is all geared up for the battle of the ballot, saying that the party workers are all geared up to retain the seat in the coming bypoll.
The GPCC chief said the Congress will launch its campaign for the Shiroda seat by next week after opening an office in the constituency.
Besides, the South Goa District Committee headed by President Joe Dias has drawn up a plan of action in Shiroda. “We have shortlisted a total of five senior leaders from the district who will all go to the respective panchayat areas and move door-to-door and expose the failure of the BJP-led government in Goa and at the Centre,” Joe said.
He said the door-to-door campaign will also be used to seek inputs from the electorate on the people’s choice of candidate for Shiroda as the party has already received feelers from many a prospective candidates to contest the bypoll on the party banner.
Sources in the know said that name of a local doctor is doing the rounds as one of the Congress probable candidate for the Shiroda bypoll even as GPCC President Girish Chodankar reiterated his stand that the Congress block will play a major role on the selection of party candidate for the bypoll.
The bypoll for the Shiroda constituency has been necessitated following the resignation of Congress MLA Subhash Shirodkar from the membership of the Legislative Assembly. Though former BJP Minister Mahadev Naik has expressed his willingness to contest the
bypoll on the Congress banner, many a Congress member is reportedly opposed to his candidature,
sources said.
PLAN OF ACTION
Congress will launch its campaign for the Shiroda seat by next week after opening an office in the constituency
A total of five senior leaders from the district have been shortlisted who will all go to the respective panchayat areas and move door-to-door and expose the failure of the BJP-led government in Goa and at the Centre
The door-to-door campaign will also be used to seek inputs from the electorate on the people’s choice of candidate for Shiroda
Name of a local doctor is doing the rounds as one of the Congress probable candidate
The Congress block will play a major role on the selection of party candidate for the bypoll
