SHOW OF UNITY: North and South Goa Cong candidates along with leaders of alliance parties launch campaign from Hutatma Memorial at Patradevi and later from historic Lohia Maidan at Margao, pay respect to freedom fighters; offer prayers at temples, shrines; interact with traders at Margao
Time to protect ‘pavitra bhoomi’ from divisive forces: Khalap
PANAJI
Albeit a tad late, allies of the INDIA bloc in Goa launched the campaign of the two Congress candidates for the North and South Goa Lok Sabha seats – ex-Union law minister, Ramakant Khalap and Captain Viriato Fernandes – first from the Hutatma Memorial at Patradevi on Tuesday morning and from the historic Lohia Maidan in Margao later in the evening.
In a show of unity, leaders of all the constituent political parties of the INDIA bloc travelled in a bus to Patradevi, where both the candidates, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, legislators Carlos Alvares-Ferreira and Altone D’Costa, AAP State president, Amit Palekar, Goa Forward Party vice-president Durgadas Kamat, leaders of other allies and a large number of workers and supporters jointly launched the campaign, symbolically on Gudi Padwa day.
Alemao, in a brief address, took aim at the ruling BJP calling it “dictatorial, anti-democratic and anti-Constitution” and asserting that time has come to teach it a permanent lesson. “The Congress-nominated INDIA bloc candidates will do their duty with responsibility and the voice of Goa will become voice of India,” Alemao said.
Khalap, who is making a comeback into electoral politics after a hiatus of over two decades, said it is everyone’s duty to ensure that the ‘pavitra bhoomi’ (holy land) of Goa, liberated through the efforts of freedom fighters, is protected from the divisive forces.
“I appeal to all to support both the INDIA candidates,” Khalap said, pledging to work sincerely to ensure he fights for Goa’s rights.
Patkar in his brief speech accused the BJP government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Sawant-led State government had compromised on Mhadei and destroyed Goa’s environment.
“Goans will surely ensure the victory of INDIA candidates,” Patkar said.
AAP’s Amit Palekar, Shiv Sena-UBT’s Jitesh Kamat, GFP’s Deepak Kalangutkar and TMC’s Jayesh Shetgaonkar also addressed those at the campaign launch event and pledged their respective organisations’ unstinted support to both the Congress candidates.
The contest in the two Goa seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections is expected to be mainly between the ruling BJP and the INDIA backed Congress candidates although a third factor in the form of candidates of the nascent Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) will also play out.
The BJP stole a march over the Congress in terms of campaign time with the party finalising its candidates – Shripad Naik for North Goa and Pallavi Dempo for the South –much ahead of the rival. The saffron party had also set its campaign in motion over two weeks ago.
