MARGAO
Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai will embark on his visit to BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral’s Curchorem constituency to hear public grievances on Sunday as promised by him on the floor of the House in the just concluded Assembly session.
The Congress party, however, sees red in Sardesai’s mission to Curchorem, the home turf of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) chief Amit Patkar. In fact, Congress general secretary Moreno Rebello wondered on Saturday on the eve of Sardesai’s program in Curchorem whether the INDI Alliance has been finally laid to rest.
“Where is the question of laying the Alliance to rest? I have received invitations from cross section of society, including leaders of various political parties including the Congress from Curchorem to hold the meeting in Curchorem,” the Goa Forward chief shot back to Moreno Rebello’s statement.
In fact, Sardesai said the Sunday Dialogue program is not restricted to Curchorem, but will be held all over Goa. “This is a program to hear the grievances of the people across the State. Since I had promised on the floor of the House to visit Curchorem represented by BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral, I am kick-starting the Sunday Dialogue from Curchorem,” he said.
He added: “In the evening, leaders of various political parties publicly invited me to hold the Sunday Dialogue program in Curchorem. Where is the question of laying the Alliance to rest?”
Congress general secretary Moreno Rebello, on the other hand, maintained that the Congress has its presence in all the 40 constituencies across Goa. “Our President Amit Patkar has not been informed by Goa Forward MLA Vijai Sardesai about his Sunday Dialogue at Curchorem. I was under the impression that it is his personal outreach activity. Today’s statement by Goa Forward Office Bearer Durgadas Kamat shows there is politics behind it,” Moreno said.
He added: “When I came to know of Sardesai’s Sunday Dialogue program in Curchorem, I called up PCC chief Amit Patkar to find out whether he would attend the same. I was shocked and surprised to hear from Patkar that he was not kept in the loop by the Goa Forward chief.”
Sources in the Congress camp pointed out that the party leadership in Goa seemed to have not taken it kindly to the Goa Forward party’s plan to go across the constituency, with party leaders questioning the Sunday Dialogue program.
