MARGAO
Congress-turned-TMC leader Reginaldo Lourenco returned home from Bengal after embracing the Mamata Didi-led party, but he may have to BE contend with a Congress, which is expected to put its act together in his home constituency Curtorim.
After a meeting at the residence of Congress veteran Joseph Vaz, which was attended by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Chief Girish Chodankar, the Congress has called for a meeting in Curtorim on Wednesday at the marketplace.
Even as Reginaldo was in Kolkata on Monday evening after quitting the Congress earlier in the day, GPCC Chief Girish headed to Curtorim constituency late Tuesday as he went into a huddle with party workers at the residence of Congress veteran Joseph Vaz.
After discussions, the party workers decided to hold a protest morcha in Curtorim on Wednesday evening before party leaders address the rank and file.
The party, however, is still on a hunt for a candidate, capable enough to take on the Congress-turned-TMC leader, besides the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the ruling BJP as well.
Incidentally, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha, who hails from Curtorim village, is on record saying that he would go all out to get the Curtorim seat for the Congress in the ensuing polls. It could not be ascertained whether Opposition leader Digambar Kamat and GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar will leave the responsibility of choosing a candidate to the South Goa MP or will zero in on the candidate as per the party’s laid-down norms.
While Sardinha has ruled out the possibility of him contesting the 2022 Assembly polls from Curtorim, sources said his son Shalom may not be averse to taking the plunge and filling the void left behind by Reginaldo. “It’s still unclear whether the Congress leadership will utilize the services of the MP to get the Curtorim seat in the coming polls. Sardinha has lost the Curtorim seat only twice in his political career spanning over 40 years. After Reginaldo’s exit, the MP is the only senior Congress leader, who hails from Curtorim. Whether the party will give him a free hand to choose the candidate or the candidate will be decided by the party remains to be seen,” remarked a Congress leader.
