PANAJI
The Congress’ central leadership on Monday appointed its stalwart P Chidambaram as ‘senior election observer’ for the ensuing Goa election in a move which has seemingly lent an air of seriousness and purpose to the efforts in resolving myriad issues in the beleaguered Goa unit’s internal affairs.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal issued the order appointing Chidambaram as the ‘senior election observer’.
Chidambaram, who is among the Congress’ top-most national leaders and has been Union finance minister on multiple occasions, will oversee election strategies and coordination for the Assembly elections due in February-March next year.
Earlier last week, AICC general secretary in-charge of Goa, Dinesh Gundu Rao, had abruptly cut short his visit to the State even as he was in the midst of tackling organisational hurdles in various constituencies, besides the leadership tangle.
Several senior Congressmen, including South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha and Curtorim MLA, Aleixo Reginald Lourenco, have publicly called for replacing incumbent Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president, Girish Chodankar.
Former chief minister Luizinho Faleiro, is also being counted among leaders who have thrown the dice in favour of replacing Chodankar, incidentally his protege.
Opposition Leader, Digambar Kamat, is seemingly the only leader of stature in the Goa unit backing the incumbent president to the hilt.
From winning 17 seats and emerging as the single largest party at the 2017 Assembly elections, the principal Opposition party has seen its fortunes plummet with a steady stream of defections which saw it losing 13 MLAs to the ruling BJP.
With about six months to go for the polls, Chidambaram has his task cut out, managing the intra-party personality clashes of its senior leaders and strategising the party’s electoral battle.
