MARGAO
When Congress election observer P Chidambaram and Goa desk in-charge, Dinesh Gundu Rao descended on Velim constituency during the weekend for the block meeting, the duo had to grapple with one crucial question -- loyalty of the party candidate.
The duo also faced another crucial question “ why the party does not declare the Chief Minister’s face well in advance to avoid a repeat of 2017 episode when the party could not form the government due to differences amongst leaders over the CM’s post.
The reasons are not far too seek. The duo had descended on a constituency represented by Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues, who had defected from the Congress to the BJP two years ago in 2019.
That the party could not form the government in 2017 due to the tussle over the CM’s post was apparently weighing on the workers when they pleaded for projection of CM’s face well in advance.
In fact, party workers not only demanded that the party take the aspect of loyalty into account while zeroing in on the party candidate, but ensure that the party does not finalizethe candidate at the eleventh hour, but declared well in advance.
In his address, Chidambaram appealed to the workers to take responsibility of the elections to win the coming polls. “It’s your election and you have to win the election, we are here to only help you win the election. You are not here to help us win the election and it will be your collective victory”, Chidambaram said.
Exuding confidence that the party will win the coming election, Chidambaram said “We have to win the election and avenge the 2017 shame and humiliation. We will avenge the shame and humiliation. We will show that loyal Congress workers can be elected as MLA”, he said, while urging the workers to take responsibility of the election and take all election related decisions.
In his address, Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao reminded the workers that Velim has been the power house of the Congress over the years and exuded confidence that the party would form the government in 2022. He said new political parties are coming into Goa bringing money in chartered planes, reminding that only the Congress has fulfilled the aspirations of Goa over the decades. “We know there are many ticket aspirants for Velim seat. We are confident that the workers will rally behind the candidate”, he said.
All the four ticket aspirants, district President Joe Dias, Velim Sarpanch Savio D’Silva, former MLA Benjamin D’Silva and Sabita Mascarenhas were present at the block workers meeting.
When attempts were made to elicit the names of candidates for the ticket, P Chidambaram was quick to remind the workers that the meeting was not an exercise to finalise candidates.
Party leaders, Opposition leader Digambar Kamat, MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, MP Francisco Sarainha, working president Alexio Sequeira, PCC vice-president Altinho Gomes, district president Joe Dias also addressed the meeting.
