MARGAO
All India Congress Committee (AICC) Goa desk in-charge Digvijaya Singh left Goa on Wednesday evening, but his statement on the contentious issue of alliance with like-minded and secular parties has left key players within the Congress and outside rattled and scurrying for answers.
His statement earlier in the day at a party function in South Goa that the Congress would finalise candidates in all the 40 seats, virtually ruling out an alliance with other parties, followed by a firm comment that the Congress would be all ready to take on the likes of party MLAs, Vishwajit Rane and Pandurang Madkaikar, if the duo prefer to walk out of the party, has indeed been a subject of debate and discussion both within the Congress and outside.
The Goan understands that Congress MLAs, who have been rooting for an alliance with like-minded parties, were left dazed and shocked over Digvijaya Singh’s stance on the alliance. In fact, some of the MLAs were in touch with each other and have been trying to find out whether the party had indeed closed the doors for an alliance or whether the AICC general secretary was only posturing himself ahead of alliance talks with like-minded parties.
Sources in the know said that Digvijaya’s statement also came as a shock and surprise to the pro-alliance players, including Goa Forward party mentor, MLA Vijai Sardesai. That Vijai has declined to comment on Digvijaya’s statement, while promising to come out with a statement in a day or two, only indicates that the non-Congress players are trying to ascertain from the Congress high command whether there’s any sudden change in the party’s stand on the alliance with like-minded parties in Goa.
In fact, it is learnt that some of the non-Congress players are in touch with the people who matter in Delhi to find out whether the Congress has shut doors for any alliance to fight the 2017 Assembly polls so that they can go to the constituencies in a big way in the run up to the election.
Digvijaya’s statement has come against the backdrop of meetings a senior Congress functionary had with Goa Pradesh Congress leaders, besides other parties, a week ago to seek feedback on the contentious issue of the proposed alliance.
In fact, there were strong rumours that MLAs, including Vishwajit Rane and Pandurang Madkaikar, had kept on hold all
plans to move out of the Congress after the Congress functionary held meetings with leaders from within the Congress and outside.
