MARGAO
Who'll be the new President of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC)? Congress President Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul Gandhi is expected to soon take a call on the leadership issue.
But question have begun to do rounds in Congress circles whether the Congress leadership would settle for incumbent state Congress president, Shantaram Naik or will the leadership look out for young blood to lead the party presently ruled by the BJP-led coalition government headed by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Incumbent state Congress chief and a party loyalist, Shantaram Naik has said he will not shirk the responsibility if the Congress President Sonia Gandhi tells him to lead the organisation again. "I have never insisted on any position in the party hierarchy. But, if the party leadership tells me to lead the party again, I will not shirk the responsibility," Shantaram told the Goan from the national capital.
On the other hand, AICC secretary Girish Chodankar, who is being perceived in Congress circles as a probable candidate to take up the top Congress slot, told The Goan on Wednesday that he had in the past taken
up all responsibilities entrusted to him by the party leadership, indicating that he will not shy away if asked by the party leadership to take over the GPCC reigns.
"No one has so far approached me, though my name is doing the rounds in Congress circles.
I have been a loyal soldier of the party and had never said no to any responsibilities entrusted to me. But, in the instant case, there are a number of issues that need to be discussed since the GPCC position is a big responsibility. Let us cross the bridge when it comes," Girish told The Goan from Delhi.
Sources said the Shantaram and Girish camps are apparently keeping their fingers crossed over the choice of candidate of the Congress party Legislators for the top post.
Incidentally, both Shantaram and Girish are in New Delhi, but the duo insisted that they are in the national capital for different reasons. While Shantaram informed that he is on a private visit to Delhi, Girish attributed his presence in the national capital to the Gujarat election since he is a member of the candidates screening committee.
Incidentally, while the incumbent GPCC Chief is known in Delhi Congress circles as a loyalist and an organizational man, and shares a rapport with the Gandhi family, Girish, sources
said, has made his way in the party hierarchy ever since he was appointed in-charge of the NSUI by none other than Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi.
Sources close to the Girish camp say that the party high command nominated Girish to lock horns against Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the Panaji by-poll and his nomination as member of the Gujarat candidates screening panel after his defeat in the by-poll indicates his closeness to the powers that he be in the Congress party.
Incidentally, there's a consensus slowly developing in the party organization and the Congress Legislature Party that the new president should be one who has no agenda to contest the Assembly election to ensure that he devotes his attention to all the constituencies as part of strengthening the party organization.
