CANACONA
After completing house-to-house visits in a period spread over two years, former minister and probable Congress candidate in Canacona constituency for the forthcoming assembly elections, Isidore Fernandes is awaiting the declaration of Congress candidates to contest for the second time in as many terms from the constituency.
Addressing a specially convened news conference, Fernandes thanked the Canacona people for receiving him with open hearts and accepting his concern to contest the upcoming assembly polls. “Give me a chance to serve you,” said Fernandes, a former MLA of erstwhile Poinguinim constituency, who polled about 12,000 votes in a three-cornered fight, losing to Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar in the 2012 Assembly polls.
“Being a Congressman, I had approached the people on the Congress front, but it is for the high command to decide my candidature, as besides me two other names have also been submitted by the Canacona block.”
Replying to a specific question, Fernandes said: “Every voter asked me to re-contest, as I sought the next term in the Assembly to serve my people of Canacona. One BJP legislator had served two terms as MLA and the present one will be completing 5 years as minister. Give me the next 5 years and I want to resolve once for for all the problems faced by Canacona people on the tourism front.”
“Tourism is the main and only source of livelihood directly and indirectly linked to it. If elected, my priority is to solve the issue. Licences are chronically issued late. Presently, tourists are returning home due to non-availability of cash, and many other issues hamper tourism dependent families. Canacona has got no development as promised, but the specific chargesheet listing all details will be made public only once election is declared,” he charged.
Blaming his last defeat on the anti-Congress wave due to incumbency, Fernandes also blamed it on declaration of candidates at the last moment, MoI issue, mining, casinos. “The last three issues are purely mishandled and mismanaged by the BJP government now,” he said.
Canacona Block Congress president Elvis Fernandes, youth leaders Sanju Naik and Vaibhav Phaldessai were present.
