MARGAO
All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer Rajini Patil may have been sent on a brief to seek views of partymen on appointment of new GPCC chief Girish Chodankar and Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat, but the AICC observer was flooded with complaints of anti-party activities from the defeated candidates.
A host of party defeated candidates, who came to see her at the South Goa district Congress committee office on Thursday morning, conveyed their sentiments how party leaders, including the blocks worked against the official candidates in the just concluded elections.
Velim Congress candidate Savio D’Silva and his close supporters briefed the AICC observer how Congress party leaders had worked against him in the constituency. “We have handed over a written complaint to the AICC observer against all those party leaders, who had worked against me. Patil has promised that action against the party leaders will be initiated by the party leadership,” he told the media after calling on the AICC observer.
He further pointed out that he was defeated in Velim not because of the split in the votes, but more because of the anti-party activities resorted to by the party leaders. “The Congress has not split, but these certain leaders did not work for me. We have brought this to the notice of the observer and it is for the party leadership to find out why these leaders have not worked and to initiate action,” he said.
Congress Cortalim candidate, Olencio Simoes hoped the party will take the right decision and gear up for future challenges. “People have supported us, but the division of opposition votes have cost us. We will have to find out what went wrong for the party, whether we were not vociferous in taking up public issues or whether the smaller parties have taken our place,” he said.
Olencio said the party should initiate action against all those party leaders, who have worked against the party in the elections to make the party strong and face future elections.
Party Vasco candidate Carlos Almeida pointed out that he has submitted his report to the AICC observer, saying there were a host of reasons that contributed to the defeat of the Congress, including late announcement of party candidates.
Dabolim candidate, Capt Viriato Fernandes said he does not want to blame the party or anybody else for his defeat, saying all the party leaders had worked for him in the election.
