the goan I network
PANAJI
Congress president and North Goa MP hopeful Girish Chodankar on Wednesday slammed “Chowkidaar” CM Pramod Sawant for encouraging midnight defections.
He was talking while addressing a gathering of Congress supporters in the Capital city on the fourth day of the party’s election campaign - the cycle yatra.
Addressing the gathering, Chodankar responded to the peoples’ request to keep a check on the defection of MLAs who quit their parties to join the BJP to cling to power.
“All these defections prove that the BJP are not to be trusted as they stab their own friends,” said Chodankar. He further said that the midnight drama enacted by the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who “claimed to be the chowkidaar of Goa was an act of midnight dacoity on the MGP
MLAs.”
“The BJP’s actions throughout India and the happenings in Goa prove that they are determined to kill the soul of democracy,” said the party president.
He said that the need of the hour was to save democracy, freedom of thought, speech, faith and the freedom to practice one’s own cultural activities had to be preserved and safeguarded. “This can be done only by electing the Congress,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Congress spokesperson Trajano D’Mello told the media that the state government was only holding itself together because PM Modi was at the Center. “Once he goes, and I’m sure that we will come to power, this state government will fall like a pack of cards,” said D’Mello.
Meanwhile the Cycle Rally, which began from People’s High School, wound its way through Mala, Fontainhas, Church Square, St-Inez, Tonca, Miramar and Caranzalem.
Chodankar exorted the people to support and vote for him as their representative in the Lok Sabha which would help strengthen the hands of the Congress PM candidate Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi, he said had taken a committed stand to eradicate poverty by promising to give Rs 72,000 (i.e.Rs 6000 monthly) to the poor, money that would be put into the account of a woman in that family.
Santa Cruz MLA Tony Fernandes appealed to the people to support an honest and clean person like
Chodankar.
Congress leaders stage cycle rally at Porvorim
PORVORIM : The Congress party staged a cycle rally in Porvorim on Tuesday, as part of their poll campaign for the LS polls.
GPCC President and Congress candidate for North Goa Girish Chodankar, Porvorim Block Congress Committee President Adv Shankar Phadte, Sanjeev Naik, Wilber Ticlo and other committee members participated in the rally. The rally later proceeded to Candolim via Verem and Nerul.
Speaking to media persons, Chodankar said this was the third day of their cycle rally and had so far, covered six constituencies. “We have received good response from public in all six constituencies. There has been tremendous public anger about the functioning of Centre and State governments and they will express their anger in the ensuing parliament election by dethroning the BJP,” said Chodankar.
“People are disturbed about corruption in the Rafael deal, demonetisation, GST, unemployment, growing inflation in the country and are hence, expecting a change at the Centre.”
Stating that the BJP government had failed to fulfill promises made to the electorate during the last Lok Sabha elections, the GPCC president said the Congress party is fully confident that people would elect their candidates this time to form the new government.
Porvorim Block Congress Committee President Adv Shankar Phadte said people in general desire a change in the government at the Centre. “They want a transparent administration and this can be provided by the Congress party under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. Hence, the Congress party is fully confident that both their candidates in Goa will win the parliamentary elections,” said Phadte.
