MARGAO
With the INDIA bloc experiment paying rich dividends in the Lok Sabha election for the South Goa seat, the Congress leadership has almost decided to leave the Benaulim Zilla Panchayat seat for the Aam Aadmi Party for the June 23 by-election.
Even as the Aam Aadmi Party Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas is on the job mobilising the people for the June 23 battle for the Benaulim ZP by-poll, the Congress leadership comprising of GPCC chief Amit Patkar, Opposition Leader Yuri Alemao and party MLA Altone D’Costa have openly batted for leaving the Benaulim ZP seat for the INDIA bloc partner, AAP to fight the ensuing by-poll.
Sources in the know informed that the issue of leaving the Benaulim ZP seat for AAP was reportedly discussed with Congress Goa desk in-charge, Manikrao Thakare by AAP State chief Amit Palekar during his visit to the State last week.
While Thakare later went to the media by saying the INDIA bloc will continue in Goa, State Congress leaders later decided to leave the Benaulim ZP seat to AAP not only on the ground that AAP is now the Alliance partner, but the Benaulim ZP seat was held by AAP before the ZP member Hanzel’s election was set aside by the Administrative Tribunal after the High Court declared that Christian carpenters have not been notified by the government as OBC.
State Congress leaders comprising of Patkar, Yuri and Altone are also of the opinion that Benaulim has given the highest lead for Captain Viriato Fernandes in the just concluded Assembly polls, cautioning that any decision to field a Congress candidate for the June 23 by-poll may not go down well with the electorate.
Meanwhile, with the Congress leadership in favour of the AAP contesting the Benaulim by-poll, and the other alliance partners, Nationalist Congress Party, TMC and the Goa Forward party not showing any interest in the ensuing polls, AAP Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas is gearing up for the coming by-poll.
In fact, the Benaulim MLA, who virtually went on a spree during the Lok Sabha campaign to induct new members into the party-fold, has begun mobilising people from the Benaulim ZP constituency for the coming election.
With Captain Viriato Fernandes retaining the South Goa seat for the Congress party, AAP as well as the INDIA bloc are anticipating a feel good factor in favour of the AAP candidate, even though reports say efforts are underway to field a common candidate to take on AAP in the by-election.
