OLD GOA
Coming down heavily on the defection of its 13 MLAs into the BJP, former union minister P Chidambaram called upon Congress workers to put an end to the shame that Goa MLAs are commodities that can be purchased and sold.
Chidambaram gave the call while addressing workers of Cumbarjua and St Cruz Congress block committees at two separate functions on Saturday.
“It used to be said of Haryana. I am ashamed it is being said of Goa. Let us determine collectively we will finally put an end to the shame, to the stigma attached to Goa that Goa’s MLAs are commodities like onions or potatoes who can be bought and sold in the market. Let’s put an end to that. That is entirely in your hands,” Chidmbaram said.
“I hang my head is shame that the elected member of this (St Cruz) constituency betrayed the people of Goa. But the workers did not betray the party or the voters. You stayed loyal to the party and I salute you for the same,” he added.
“This time we will not let such things happen. We will not let what happen in 2017 happen again. Let 2017 be a bad dream,” Chidambaram said. He said the Congress would not only win in Cumbarjua and St Cruz, but would form the next government in the State.
“We are going to win State by State and then in 2024, we will win in the country,” he said.
He also came down heavily on BJP for stealing people’s mandate in Goa by buying Congress MLAs.
“One thing they (BJP) are capable is spending money and stealing elections. The last election of Goa was stolen. The people voted for the Congress party but they stole the election by buying 13 of our MLAs,” Chidambaram stated while urging workers to remain loyal to the party.
“The AICC in-charge Dinesh Rao has been working with you for eight months identifying who are loyal workers of the Congress party. For me, there’s only one word on the top of the party dictionary, which is loyalty. Everything else comes later.”
“Anybody who is loyal to the party, if he commits small mistake he can be forgiven. But anybody who may be brilliant, rich, clever, resourceful and able to win elections, but if he is not loyal to the party then in my book he has no place in the party,” he said.
AICC Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao, observers, Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat, GPCC President Girish Chodankar, GPCC working president Aleixo Sequeira, manifesto committee chairman Ramakant Khalap were present.
