MARGAO
Ahead of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Margao to address the Congress workers meeting at the SAG ground, Fatorda on Friday, the Congress camp was bubbling with confidence that the visit will galvanise the rank and file to take on the ruling BJP in the coming election for the Goa Legislative Assembly and also speak out his mind on issues affecting Goans, including special status for Goa.
Though Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address a public meeting at 3.30 pm at the SAG ground, Fatorda, he will now join the ongoing padyatra and walk with the party workers from the Holy Spirit Church ground for a kilometer before culminating at the SAG ground.
Addressing the media, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Luizinho Faleiro has said that Rahul Gandhi will touch on the issues that will find mention in the manifesto and the Congress chargesheet against the BJP-led government. “Though Rahul Gandhi had visited Goa so many times in the past, this is the first time that Rahul Gandhi will be addressing a meeting of party workers at Margao. He is an emerging and new face of the youth in the country. He has taken the initiative to highlight the issues plaguing the common man post-demonetisation," Faleiro said.
When asked whether Rahul Gandhi will make any statement on the long-pending demand of Goans for special status after the Congress party had failed to honour a similar promise made to Goans around seven years ago, Faleiro pointed out that the Congress will certainly include the special status in the party election manifesto. “Rahul Gandhi will certainly touch on some of the issues that will figure in the chargesheet. He will speak on the Congress party’s chargesheet against the government and the casinos," he added.
Faleiro said that Rahul Gandhi has already told the party leaders and workers to reach out to the people of the country to minimise their hardships affected by demonetisation.
Accusing the BJP-led government for taking Goa backward by 10 years, Faleiro said the statement by the former PWD minister is an eloquent testimony of the state of affairs in Goa.
Asked whether the Congress would unveil the names of the party candidates for the ensuing election, Faleiro said the process of selection of candidates is still underway. When asked about the candidate for the Navelim Assembly constituency, Faleiro evaded a direct reply whether he would contest the election or not, but hinted that it could also be a new face.
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Party leaders on the job to mobilise huge crowd
MARGAO: Congress leaders were on the job to mobilise a huge crowd turn out for Rahul Gandhi’s public meeting at the SAG ground, Fatorda on Friday evening, with party leaders setting specific targets for the bigwigs and ticket aspirants for the D-day.
In fact, AICC secretary in-charge of Goa, Dr Chella Kumar is working overtime to ensure that the SAG ground is flooded by party workers from South Goa to set the stage for a big battle against the ruling BJP in the coming election.
Sources in the know said that Dr Chella was personally on the job meeting party leaders from Quepem to Ponda and interacting with ticket aspirants to ensure that everything works well on the crowd front.
It is learnt that Congress MLA Babu Kavlekar has promised to bring in a massive crowd, pegged around 5,000 workers, hailing from his Quepem constituency and from the neighbouring constituency of Sanguem, where his wife is believed to have firmly set her eyes on the seat.
That Rahul Gandhi is addressing the public meeting in the city, local five-time MLA and former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has been given the responsibility to bring in the local crowd for the meet.
Sources in the know said that several ticket aspirants from Salcete and outside have been told to get minimum 1,000-2,000 workers for the public meeting. Towards this end, sources said that GPCC President Luizinho Faleiro and Dr Chella had a meeting with the ticket aspirants and other leaders with a plea to mobilise the crowd from their respective constituencies.
Sources in the Congress party pointed out that since Rahul Gandhi’s visit comes before the finalisation of party candidates, leaders expect most of the ticket aspirants to contribute their might and ferry sizeable number of works for the meeting.
