MARGAO: The names of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar, former three-time MP Francisco Sardinha, Mahila Congress Chief Pratima Coutinho and Adv Cleofato Coutinho were forwarded by the South Goa district Committee to the Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) for the Lok Sabha ticket.
Even as confusion prevailed over the application filed by former youth Congress president Valanka Alemao for the ticket, sources said the Pradesh Election Committee, which met in the State capital on Saturday evening, has now asked the South Goa district Congress panel to verify Valanka’s claim on her membership and submit a report.
Sources in the South Goa district Congress committee informed that the query over Valanka’s application was raised because of her membership.
A member of the Pradesh Election Committee, however, told The Goan that since
Valanka has claimed that she is a former Youth Congress Chief and had worked at the grass-root level, the district panel has been asked to verify her claim on membership and submit a report.
Incidentally, the district Panel has forwarded the name of Chodankar even though he did not officially apply for the party ticket. The district Congress panel, headed by President Joe Dias, however, has defended the decision to shortlist Chodankar’s name saying the GPCC President’s name was suggested by many a PCC and district committee member at the meeting called by the Committee earlier this week on shortlisting of candidates.
“The GPCC President might not have made an official application for the party ticket, but his name was suggested by many a PCC and district Committee member. We have shortlisted the names and forwarded it to the Pradesh Election Committee”, source said, adding that it is for the Pradesh Election Committee to take a call on the final list of candidates.
On Valanka Alemao, sources said the district panel has forwarded a report to the PEC on her application in respect of her membership.
The district Congress committee had received a total of seven applications for the ticket, including that of Francisco Sardinha, Adv Cleofato Coutinho, Pratima Coutinho, Valanka Alemao, Sidhanath Buyao, Daya Pagi and Arsenio D’Silva.
