MARGAO
The Congress leadership on Wednesday grappled with the question of shortlisting the candidate for the Curtorim Assembly seat given that as many as four candidates were recommended by the block committee for consideration of the party.
Members of the Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) that met by a virtual mode decided to forward all the names shortlisted by the block to the Screening Committee for a decision. Sources in the know pointed out that member Ramakant Khalap batted for the candidature of Shalom, son of South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha.
MP Sardinha is reported to have impressed upon the committee that the workers are in no mood to support candidates those who had joined the BJP and later returned back into the party fold after ex-MLA Reginaldo Lourenco quit the party.
The four names recommended by the Curtorim Block Congress Committee were Shalom Sardinha, ex-Curtorim ZP member Moreno Rebello, wife and ZP member Michele Rebello, and Congress veteran Joseph Vaz.
Another senior member of the PEC is believed to have impressed upon the members that shortlisting a candidate, who had moved out of the Congress to the BJP and returned back may give the rival parties an advantage in Curtorim constituency.
After hearing the views expressed by the members, it was decided to forward all the names recommended by the block to the Screening Committee for necessary action and decision.
The PEC had to hold a meeting to consider the names of candidates for the Curtorim Assembly after ex-MLA Reginaldo Lourenco had quit the party after his name was cleared for the party ticket.
Meanwhile, the PEC meeting also discussed the probable candidates for the Porvorim seat, and it was finally decided to forward all the names of shortlisted candidates to the Screening Committee for a decision.
Sources informed some of the members are believed to have insisted that the party should find out how long these probable candidates were part of the Congress party.
