THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
A new political organisation styling itself as the 'Goa Congress Party' has sought registration as a political party with the Election Commission of India (ECI) triggering frenzied speculation in political circles over its impact just six-eight months away from the next assembly election.
The proposed party has applied for registration under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and has published a public notice in a section of the print media to fulfill the mandatory process prescribed by the ECI for registration of new political parties.
The notice says the party's office is located at Velsao in Mormugao taluka and as per party registration procedure, asks members of the public to file objections if any within 30 days to the Secretary (Political Party), Election Commission of India in Delhi.
The notice also states that Franciso Gouveia of Velsao is the President of the proposed party and Vaman Gaonkar of Vainguinim in Mayem of Bicholim taluka is the vice-president.
Rohidas Gadekar of Socorro in Bardez is the general secretary and Bruno Pereira of Issorcim, Velsao, its treasurer, the notice said.
The development comes days after Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president, Girish Chodankar, had accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of planning such a move as a strategy to divide the Opposition ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Chodankar had alleged that the BJP had earmarked Rs 100 crore to float this new "secular" political party to split secular votes.
Meanwhile, new outfits springing up or older dormant parties being revived on election eve is not an uncommon phenomenon in Goa and has repeated itself in successive election cycles since 1994.
Nearly five years ago on election eve, the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) previously an NGO, was registered and created a dent by winning one seat and garnering over 8 per cent vote share.
Five years before that in the 2017, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was the 'new player in the ring. Although it did not win any seat then, it did garner nearly 7% of the vote and probably impacted results in at least half a dozen seats.
In 2012, former minister Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco, took over an electorally defunct Goa Vikas Party (GVP) which won two seats.
In 2007, it was former chief minister, Churchill Alemao, who quit the Congress to float the Save Goa Front and won two seats, while in 2002, a tottering United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) came back to life winning three seats.
In 1999, Goa Rajiv Congress Party (GRCP) of former chief minister, Wilfred de Souza, sprung before the elections and won two seats while in 1994, Churchill Alemao had floated the UGDP and won three seats.
Venugopal coming today; may hold talks
with Patkar, disgruntled Congressmen
PANAJI: Member of Parliament and AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal is expected to arrive in Goa on Friday and hold discussions with Amit Patkar who was replaced with Girish Chodankar as Goa Pradesh Congress Committee chief.
Sources said, Venugopal could also hold parleys with Fatorda MLA, Vijay Sardesai whose Goa Forward Party (GFP) is known to be exploring alliances in the Opposition space.
Congress has reportedly hit the panic button suspecting that the new political outfit could possibly be a fallout of the internal rumblings which have plagued it ever since the unceremonious replacement of Patkar.
