You have been elected as Congress Legislature Party leader when the party’s tally in the House is reduced to a mere five MLAs. How do you intend to go about you work both within and outside the Assembly?
Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has a task cut out for him, with the party’s tally in the Assembly reduced to just five in the 40-member House after 10 members of the party embraced the BJP. In a candid chat with Guilherme Almeida, he speaks on how he intends to take the party forward, dwells on future agenda and touches upon the contentious issue of doing business with Goa Forward Party
I compare my current position to my stint as Power Minister in 1999. The Power department was in doldrums and then Chief Minister Francisco Sardinha had asked me to take charge of the power portfolio. I took it up as a challenge and took decisions to bring the department on the right track. Similarly, with the Congress leadership reposing faith in me by electing me as the CLP leader, I will have to work hard and strengthen the party base.
How do you intend to take your party MLAs with you considering their seniority in the party?
Fortunately, we have a good team. All our MLAs are formidable leaders, be it Pratapsingh Rane, Luizinho Faleiro, Ravi Naik or Reginaldo Lourenco, they know their job well. I think the opposition is capable enough in taking the government head-on.
You somehow enjoyed good relations with some of the Congress MLAs who have now embraced the BJP. Many say failure by the Congress to form an alternate government forced these MLAs to cross over to the ruling side.
It is a fact that MLAs, leaders and workers were a demoralised lot after the party missed the bus to form the government in 2017. Expectations were high amongst the party leaders and rank and file that Congress would return to power, but in vain. But, the delay in announcing the CLP leader cost the party dearly. I do not think any senior party leader would have quit the party if the party leadership was quick in choosing the CLP leader.
Most of the Congress MLAs had supported your candidature for the post of GPCC chief a year ago for the simple reason that they believed that Digambar would help the Congress come back to power. Do you think the situation would have been different had the Congress appointed you as the party president?
I have no answer to that question. But, I can say that if I was at helm of the party, probably the MLAs would not have taken the decision to leave the party and the situation would have been avoided. I shared close rapport with some of the MLAs, who have quit the party, as they appreciated my style of working and functioning.
As leader of the opposition, how do you intend to take the Congress party along with other opposition groups.
I think it is the responsibility of the Congress to take all the opposition parties along and to bring coordination amongst them. Being the largest group in the House, the responsibility falls on the Congress to take the initiative and coordinate with the opposition groups, including Goa Forward party, MGP and the Independents.
But, you may run the risk of antagonizing a section of party leaders, who may not want any truck with the Goa Forward Party headed by Vijai Sardesai.
In the Legislative Assembly, our job would be to put the government on the mat on issues of public interest. The government is answerable to the people and the duty of the opposition is to oppose the wrong decisions. In this task, we require the help of all the opposition members. There cannot be two or three different arguments from the opposition on one issue. There may be some reasons for the party cadres to oppose any tie up with the Goa Forward. I don’t want to go into those reasons. As Leader of the Opposition, my role is defined. I have to coordinate with all the opposition groups.
Is any there outside chance of the Congress forming an alternate government during the current term. Or, is the party resigned to its fate and would work now keeping in mind the 2022 election?
I think the Congress party should now concentrate on the general election, build and strengthen the organization and prepare the workers to face the next election.
