Ex-GPCC chief Girish Chodankar addresses the media.
MARGAO
In a development that has raised eyebrows within Congress circles and beyond, former Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar has praised the party’s three MLAs for actively working to ensure the election of Zilla Panchayat candidates from their respective constituencies.
Chodankar said this may be the first time in Goa’s political history that Congress MLAs have played such a proactive role in ZP elections.
“In the past, our Congress MLAs did not work hard for the party’s success in the ZP polls. They were even opposed to the party contesting the elections on the party banner. In the last election in 2020, the Congress party had MLAs, but they did not get involved. Perhaps for the first time, our MLAs have got themselves involved in the ZP polls. Opposition leader Yuri Alemao, Altone D’Costa and Carlos Alvares all worked hard to ensure that the party wins the ZP seats from their constituencies,” he added.
In the 2020 ZP polls, which the Congress fought under the leadership of GPCC chief Girish Chodankar and Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat, the Congress had won just four seats — three in South Goa and one seat in North Goa.
Saying the ZP poll results show the wind has finally started blowing against the BJP, Chodankar said the Congress party will be able to defeat the BJP with the same aggression displayed during the ZP polls. “The ZP poll result is the beginning of the end of the BJP in Goa and the return of the Congress party to the state,” Girish added.
