MARGAO
Congress rank and file anxiously looks forward to the visit of All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader, Dinesh Gundu Rao later this week, with leaders and workers hoping the Goa desk in-charge will bring in news on the GPCC leadership tangle.
This is Gundu Rao’s first visit to the State after Rahul Gandhi’s one-on-one interaction with the Goa Congress leaders, including party MLAs, GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar, Chairman of Coordination Panel, Ramakant Khalap in the national capital last month.
Senior leaders in private informed that that the AICC in-charge will bring in some news on the leadership tangle and put an end to the issue once and for all.
The Goan, however, understands that the AICC in-charge, is coming to Goa to interact with workers at the block level, including the six blocks coming under the South Goa district.
In fact, Gundu Rao will be visiting the blocks represented by Congress turncoats, including Velim represented by Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Cuncolim, Canacona and Quepem, the last constituency represented by Dy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar.
Besides, the AICC in-charge will interact with Congress rank and file of Curchorem and Sanguem, represented in the Legislative Assembly by Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar.
Gundu Rao’s agenda, sources said, includes his meeting with party leaders to discuss the strategy with the 2022 Assembly election fast approaching.
Congress leaders, anxiously waiting for the change in GPCC leadership, however, pointed out that the AICC in-charge should come down with a message from the party high Command on whether the party leadership in Delhi will go in for a change in leadership or status quo by retaining incumbent GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar.
If sources are to be believed, Dinesh Gundu is believed to have already told party leaders that since party leader Rahul Gandhi has had an one-on-one interaction with the party leaders in Delhi last month, only Rahul will take a call on the contentious question whether there will be a change in the GPCC leadership or not.
The AICC secretary was in Goa in mid-June where he had an interaction with party rank and file, including MLA and party leaders seeking their feedback on the leadership issue as well as how to go about the elections in 2022.
He had an interaction with politicians, intending to join the Party, including former Independent MLA Benjamin D’Silva, former AAP state convenor Elvis Gomes and others during his visit, besides a group of persons from Margao over dinner.
Interestingly, while Congress leaders are waiting for an announcement from Delhi on the leadership issue, GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar has been going about his work, unperturbed by the demand made by some senior party leaders for a change in leadership.
In fact, Chodankar and his group in the GPCC had been on an agitation path against the government, sending confusing signals whether the High Command will maintain status quo vis-Ã -vis the GPCC leadership.
