MARGAO
All eyes are focused on the Congress camp as the party's Goa desk in-charge, Dinesh Gundu Rao is arriving on a two-day visit to the state, beginning Tuesday, which is expected to discuss the resignation of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Chief Girish Chodankar and take stock of the party’s debacle in the recently concluded Zilla Panchayat polls.
The visit assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the Congress' pathetic show in the Zilla panchayat election a few days ago and the resignation of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Chief Girish Chodankar. Opponents of the Congress leadership are anxiously waiting for Rao's visit as it is expected to give them a platform to renew their demand for a change in the leadership.
Senior party leaders, including South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha had publicly blamed the party leadership for the Congress debacle in the Zilla Panchayat polls. Other party leaders including party veteran MLA Luizinho Faleiro had openly stated that the GPCC decision to contest the ZP polls on party banner had cost the party dearly.
There were others in the Congress party who have raised the question whether the failure to project a Catholic face has alienated the minorities from the party. “The minorities have been the power house of the Congress. What we have seen in the ZP polls is that neither the minorities nor members of the majority community stayed firm with the party. The time has come to conduct an introspection by the party leadership,” remarked a senior Congress leader.
Sources in the party told The Goan that Dinesh Gundu Rao is expected to hold consultation with party leaders, including party MLAs, senior leaders, party Zilla Panchayat candidates, including the four wining candidates, besides district party leaders.
For the first time after he took charge as Goa desk in-charge around two months ago, Rao will also be visiting the district offices with the objective of interacting with the party district leaders in view of the party’s worst ever performance in the Zilla Panchayat election.
A senior Congress leader informed that Rao is expected to hold consultations with party leaders on the resignation of the party president. And, he is also expected to discuss the party’s position in the state and chalk out an action plan to revitalize the party and prepare the ground for the 2022 Assembly election.
