THE GOAN NETWORK
VASCO: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) State President Jose Philip D’Souza on Wednesday said he has been receiving requests from many Congress leaders for NCP tickets to contest the bypolls in Shiroda and Mandrem.
D'Souza said he is yet to take a call on their requests, but has informed his higher-ups about the issue so that they can accordingly direct him to decide in the matter.
"Today, politics has stooped to such a low level that opposition legislators are being poached and almost every legislator is leaving his political affiliation to grab power. There are so many cases of defections that innocent voters are fed up,” said D’Souza.
"Congress leaders are upset with many decisions taken by the high command over candidatures and they have approached me to seek NCP tickets to teach them a lesson.”
“Though I have not taken a call, I have informed my seniors about the situation. I have got calls from Congressmen in Shiroda and Mandrem for NCP tickets. In fact, we are in discussion stage and await an approval from the high command," added D'Souza.
D'Souza said he had been receiving calls ever since the NCP gave a ticket to Sanjay Barde to contest the Mapusa bypoll.
“Since then, I have been getting calls from Congress leaders who are upset with the candidate chosen and by leaders who have been denied the Congress ticket," said D’Souza.
“Today, the BJP has given tickets to Congress legislators and Congress has taken disgruntled leaders as their candidate. I am sure supporters of Shirodkar may have had so many moments when they must have had verbal altercations with karyakartas of Mahadev Naik. But today, the situation has changed and they have to support candidates they opposed tooth and nail," said D'Souza added.
