MARGAO
In the changing political equations following the appointment of Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Girish Chodankar as Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president, grassroots Congress workers are increasingly looking towards South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes to play a key role in protecting the interests of the party cadre amid moves to induct new faces into the party ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Congressmen, speaking privately, have urged the South Goa MP to stand up for the cadre that, they said, worked tirelessly to secure his victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and subsequently contributed to the party’s performance in the 2025 Zilla Panchayat polls.
Fernandes was invited to attend the Congress workers’ meeting at Nuvem on Sunday, where local party workers were keen that he take into consideration their concerns over what they perceive as overt and covert moves to induct leaders into the Congress fold.
“We have been quiet since the appointment of Chodankar as the party president. But the time has come to assert ourselves in view of the moves to bring in politicians who have not been associated with the Congress,” said a prominent Congress leader from Nuvem. “Our only hope to stop the entry of new people is the South Goa MP. We had worked for him and he has been instrumental in giving a big boost to and recognising the importance of the grassroots cadre,” he added.
Sources said Congress workers in Benaulim have also approached Fernandes seeking his intervention amid reports of the imminent induction of youth leader Warren Alemao into the party.
According to sources, local Congress workers in Benaulim, who played a key role in reviving the party and helping it wrest the Benaulim Zilla Panchayat seat in the 2025 polls, have urged the MP to ensure that no decision concerning the constituency is taken without consulting the grassroots cadre.
The growing unease among Congress workers is also reflected in Fernandes’ recent political interventions beyond South Goa. Last week, the MP travelled to North Goa to express solidarity with a Zilla Panchayat member after reports emerged that the Congress was considering opening its doors to a politician not associated with the party in Thivim.
The developments indicate growing concerns within sections of the Congress cadre over the proposed induction of leaders from outside the party, with grassroots workers increasingly looking to Fernandes to articulate their concerns and ensure that the interests of long-standing party workers are not overlooked.
Viriato vows to block ‘potential defectors’ from joining Cong
MARGAO: The South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes on Wednesday minced no words when he asserted that he would be a hurdle to anyone planning to join the Congress who is a potential defector and who is coming into the party to destroy Goa.
Without taking any names, the MP said these people were flirting with the BJP when destructive projects were foisted on the people. “Where were these people when Goans have been fighting on the streets and facing cases? These people were collecting haftas from the five-star hotels. These people are like frogs suddenly coming out in view of the upcoming elections,” he said.
He added: “September 14, 2022, is a black day in the political history of Goa when the eight Congress MLAs betrayed the people and joined the BJP, which has been destroying the state. Since 2022, we have rebuilt the Congress from scratch. Congressmen at the blocks and simple supporters of the Congress all came together to revive the party to give victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and the 2025 ZP election.”
Demanding to know where all these people were since 2022, the South Goa MP said, “I will become a hurdle to anyone who is a potential defector. I will be a hurdle to those coming to destroy Goa. We cannot take compromising people in the Party. That is my commitment to the loyal soldiers of the Congress, whether they are party members or supporters.”
