PANAJI
​The core screening panel of All India Congress Committee (AICC) met in New Delhi on Wednesday on the backdrop of the announcement of poll schedule for Goa and has given its nod to 15 names, which includes six sitting MLAs of the party, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Luizinho Faleiro and single names suggested by some of the Congress blocks.
The meeting, which was attended by Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane and GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro, marked the culmination of the eight-month long, comprehensive process for selection of candidates set into motion in May 2016.
The sitting MLAs whose names have received AICC’s green signal include former Chief Minister and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, Valpoi MLA Vishwajit Rane, Poriem MLA and Leader of Opposition Pratapsing Rane, Quepem MLA Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavalekar, Taleigao MLA Jennifer Monserrate and Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco.
Nine other names have been finalised for party tickets as a result of unanimous backing they received from their respective Block Congress committees.
Among these are Faleiro for Navelim constituency, Rozario Fernandes for Curchorem, young Congressman Sankalp Amonkar for Mormugao, Manohar Shirodkar for Bicholim, Savitri Kavalekar for Sanguem and former minister Nilkanth Halarnkar for Tivim.
Sources also informed that three more names were also deliberated upon and given a thumbs up. These include Isidore Fernandes for Canacona, GPCC general secretary Sunil Kawthankar for Mayem and Clafacio Dias for Cuncolim.
Speaking to The Goan, Leader of Opposition Rane stated, “The official declaration of the first list of Congress candidates for the upcoming polls to Goa Assembly is expected latest by January 12.” AICC screening committee chairman Venugopal and members Bhakta Charan Das and Deepak Babaria had attended the last meeting of the 19-member Pradesh Election Committee of Goa Congress was convened on December 21 under the chairmanship of All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Goa Digvijaya Singh.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that four MLAs including Vishwajit, Digambar, Reginaldo, Kavalekar led by Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane made the last effort towards pushing for a grand alliance.
Referring to this, Vishwajit said, “We put forth our demand for coming together of all like-minded forces before the high command. Now, it is up to the high command to decide and finalise the course of the party’s campaign.”
