MARGAO
With the party facing jolt following the exit of senior leader Luizinho Faleiro, the Congress leadership seemed on a damage control exercise, to ensure no more leaders, especially from the minority community leave the party.
Already facing flak within party circles and outside that the party did not project a minority face, and the fact that the plea of the minority leaders to replace GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar had no takers in Delhi, the party leadership, sources said, has been trying to reach out to three-time MLA Reginaldo Lourenco to ensure he does not take any hasty decision.
Sources in the know said since Reginaldo could not be contacted throughout the day, the party leaders have been trying to send messages to him through his close aides.
With Dinesh Gundu Rao sent to Goa on a mission to contain any further damage, sources in the know said the three-time Congress MLA was scheduled to have a meeting with the AICC Goa desk in-charge in the state capital on late Monday evening.
It is not out of place to mention that all the three senior Congress leaders from Salcete, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha, Luizinho Faleiro and Reginaldo Lourenco had made a strong case to the Congress leadership in Delhi to replace the incumbent GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar, but in vain.
Sources close to the Curtorim MLA informed that leaders of a couple of political parties had meetings with Reginaldo in the last fortnight, apparently to explore the possibility of roping him in their respective parties.
Against this background, and in the light of senior leader Luizinho Faleiro quitting the Congress, the Congress leadership has been trying to establish contact with the Curtorim MLA and sort out issues with him.
Sources informed that the party leadership is also likely to expedite reconstituting the district Committees and the PCC on priority.
