MARGAO
Fatorda Congress workers appeared confused over the contentious question of whether the party would contest the 2022 polls on the Hand symbol or leave the seat to the Goa Forward in the event two parties stitch an alliance to unitedly fight the ensuing polls.
That’s not all. Party workers seem to be further confused over the party candidate who will lead the battle in Fatorda. For, even as reports do not rule out the possibility of GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar throwing his hat in the Fatorda ring against Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai, another group led by South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha is believed to be backing the candidature of local Congress leader Ethel D’Costa for the party ticket.
Local Congress workers in private say the top Congress leadership should make it clear to the rank and file on the party’s agenda in Fatorda in 2022. “We have been informed that party leaders, including P Chidambaram, Dinesh Gundu Rao had some time back met the Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai at the residence of a senior state party leader to discuss the issue of alliance. In the fitness of things, the leadership should keep the local leaders abreast on the proposed alliance talks underway with the Goa Forward or publicly deny the talks”, remarked a Congress worker.
He added: “The party leadership should not keep the rank and file in the dark. We hear so many things from the media as well as from other sources. On the one hand, the leaders want the block committee and the workers to strengthen the party in the constituency, but these same leaders are holding discussions with the Goa Forward party. We are indeed confused on how to go about in the constituency”.
Though both the Congress and Goa Forward leadership have not gone to the public with any announcement on stitching a formal alliance to fight the coming polls, sources said top leaders of the party are in a discussion mode with each other on how to about the alliance.
Amongst the top state Congress leaders, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha has come out openly against any alliance with any of the like-minded political parties. In fact, the MP had some time back called a meeting of prominent citizens, mostly from Fatorda, to discuss the ensuing polls and take stock of the Congress party’s preparedness for the election.
That’s not all. Sardinha had been frequently meeting with Fatorda Congress workers at the party’s South office almost every week to prepare the ground for the ensuing battle. “We do not know whether the top leadership of the party has also kept the MP in the dark over the alliance talks with the Goa Forward. It is high time the party unveils its plan for Fatorda before the local workers become a laughing stock in the constituency”, remarked another worker.
Adding to the prevailing confusion were reports that the GPCC Chief may not be averse to throwing his hat in the election ring from Fatorda. A prominent worker, who is batting for Ethel Lobo’s candidate for Fatorda, said the top leadership should also clear the air on GF-Cong alliance.
