VASCO
South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes on Monday said that any political alliance must be rooted in shared ideology, while reiterating that the Congress has fielded only genuine, block-selected candidates for the upcoming elections.
His remarks came amid ongoing discussions over the Congress–Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) alliance.
Fernandes said the party leadership had already clarified its stand on some seats where consensus could not be reached. “The party leadership has explained the situation, and there were certain seats where we could not arrive at an agreement,” he said.
Sharing his personal view, he emphasised the importance of ideological compatibility. “If you ask me personally, I have always believed that there has to be an ideology. If there is no ideology, then adjustments do not matter, because in the first place, ideologies must meet.”
He added that Congress had taken a clear position on candidate selection. “Our party has told me that irrespective of whether a candidate is strong or weak, they must come from the block. There should be no parachuting,” he said, adding that defections often stem from candidates brought in from outside.
“All defections happen because of parachuted candidates. These individuals land with the intention of defecting in the future.”
Fernandes stressed that the names finalised were chosen through a fair, grassroots-driven process.
“We have given genuine candidates elected by the block after several names were considered. This is healthy for the block because people can unitedly nominate and select the right candidate after proper study and consensus,” he said.
