MAPUSA
Former Union Minister and NCP leader Praful Patel on Sunday admitted failure of the Congress-NCP coalition government in Goa in 2007 which finally led to its rout in 2012.
He also said that Congress as an opposition failed to remain an effective opposition to the BJP in the State in the last five years.
“In 2007, Congress which was the senior partner of the coalition Congress-NCP government was responsible to issue mining leases which came under a cloud,” Patel said and added that former chief minister, Digambar Kamat promised to bring a people-friendly Regional Plan which also turned out to be a disaster.
He said this and other decisions led to Goans losing faith in the Congress and NCP.
He also assured the people of Goa to make good the promises it makes this time asking a mandate for the party in return.
The NCP leader was addressing a public meeting in Mapusa along with the NCP candidates contesting from Bardez and Pernem.
NCP chief, Sharad Pawar who was supposed to address the gathering gave Mapusa a miss and rushed to Vasco due to paucity of time.
Speaking further, Patel said that Congress was spreading lies that NCP was getting close to BJP and would support it in Maharashtra.
“NCP will never have an alliance with BJP as rumours are being spread by some persons in the Congress. If we had that intention, we could have supported the then BJP-led government when we were invited by the then Prime Minister, Vajpayee. But Sharad Pawar refused then and will continue the same stand even today,” he said.
Slamming the BJP, he said demonetisation policy of PM, Narendra Modi affected the common man the most.
“Ordinary people suffered and not me and other politicians and officers,” he said.
The former aviation minister said Goa’s tourism industry has been affected as the number of tourists visiting the State has come down.
