MARGAO
With the party unveiling party candidates one by one, Congress leaders are bracing up for a possible rebellion in its ranks led by aspirants, whose claim for tickets did not find favour with the party leadership.
Even as reports indicated that the party decision to nominate Avertano Furtado for the Navelim did not go down well with ticket aspirant, Rehan Muzzawar, party leaders including Opposition leader Digambar Kamat were preoccupied with probable candidates from other constituencies, since last night, trying to do a balancing act as the party is set to unveil the final list of candidates in the coming days.
Resentment seems to be brewing in the Rehan Muzzawar camp in Navelim, sources said, after the Congress high command settled for former minister Avertano Furtado for the Navelim seat.
Supporters pointed out that the strong contender was used by the party leaders to mobilize crowds for the party rallies and programmes, but failed to consider the claim for the ticket.
Rehan was closeted with his supporters on Monday to have a second round of meeting after the first one held late Sunday called upon him to take appropriate decision, including the one to contest the coming polls.
Rehan told The Goan that he would go by the advice of his workers, who are all deeply hurt over the party decision to award the ticket to Avertano. “I will decide in a day or two on my political future,” he said, even as his workers have called for resignation from the Congress and to chalk out the future course of action.
Rehan had eyes on the strong 6000 Muslim votes in Navelim constituency as evident by the fact that he had mobilized supporters at programmes and rallies in the last two months.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders seem to treading a cautious path on possible rebellion in its ranks in Salcete as well as in Bardez over the nomination of candidates.
Sources said the party leadership is grappling with the task of managing dissensions, especially in its strongholds of Salcete, including Velim, Nuvem and Curtorim. Even as news spread that the party leadership has almost zeroed in on former MLA Benjamin D’Silva for the Velim seat, strong contenders Velim Sarpanch Savio D’Silva, besides South Goa district Congress Chief Joe Dias had separate meetings with the party leadership at the Congress office trying to find out whether there was any truth in the reports.
