Cuncolim constituency continues to give nightmares for the Congress leadership as three clear candidates have officially staked claim for the party ticket to contest the 2017 Assembly election, while opposing former two-time MLA, Joaquim Alemao’s candidature.
A worried AICC general secretary in-charge of Goa, Digvijay Singh, had to literally assert himself that his interaction with the Block committee is not a candidate selection exercise, but an exercise to strengthen the party organisation at the grassroots.
In another development, Joaquim Alemao stated he had deliberately stayed away from the interaction in protest against his removal from the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) panel. He, however, said that he is very much in contention for the Congress ticket, and wondered why those opposing him are tense over his candidature.
When the Cuncolim block Congress interaction was called at the South Goa District Office, the party leadership immediately sensed the divisions that ran deep and wide among those present in the hall. When Digvijay Singh sought to know the Cuncolim party candidate during the last election, a lone voice pointed out that it was former Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao. At this juncture, members of the different groups were heard opposing Joaquim’s candidature as the Congress candidate.
However, moments later, a factional battle for the ticket arose in full view of Digvijay Singh and the state leadership. While supporters of strong contender, Clafacio Dias, tried to drum up support for Zilla member's candidature, supporters of Adv John Monteiro did not lag behind. They asserted that Adv Monteiro is the most suitable candidate amongst the lot and demanded that he be nominated as the party candidate for the Cuncolim seat.
Former Cuncolim Municipal chairperson, Devendra Desai, who had made his presence felt at the meeting with a handful of his aides, also staked his claim for the Congress ticket. It is learnt that Clafacio Dias, who was inducted into the Congress by GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro, later handed over a file containing documents to the AICC general secretary for information and action. Devendra Desai is also believed to have submitted his ticket claim in writing for the party ticket.
When The Goan contacted former Congress legislator Joaquim Alemao over his absence at the meeting, he shot back saying, “I have stopped attending all Congress meetings since the day I was removed from the Pradesh Congress Committee. My absence does not mean that I am not a contender for the Congress ticket. I will stake my claim for the ticket. My development work in Cuncolim constituency will speak for me. That the Cuncolim Municipal Council is headed by my panel shows who is enjoying support in Cuncolim.”
When it was pointed out that his rival candidates had opposed his candidate before AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, Joaquim said a handful of people cannot decide the ticket.
“Why are these so called ticket claimants scared of me? I will stake my claim and I am confident that the Congress high command will positively consider my claim,” he added.
Sources in the Congress informed that the party leadership has a herculean task at hand to forge a consensus amongst the ticket claims and to ensure that the ticket losers do not rebel and contest the election as independents or on any other party banner.
In the 2012 election, Joaquim had primarily lost the election after Adv Monteiro played spoil sport to his plan of playing yet another innings from Cuncolim after he polled close to 5,000 votes when he threw his hat in the electoral ring as an independent. The situation may turn out different this time round, sources in the Congress state. In fact, it is learnt that while the Congress is yet to shortlist and finalise candidates for the party ticket in Cuncolim, most of the claimants have kicked off door-to-door campaigning across the constituency, which had gone to the BJP in the 2012 votes primarily because of a split in the non-BJP votes.
