MARGAO
South Goa MP and Congress veteran Francisco Sardinha on Sunday has publicly expressed his wish to seek re-election from the South Goa Parliamentary constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The veteran of many a political battle over the last four decades expressed his wish in the presence of party leaders, including Goa Pradesh Congress Committee chief Amit Patkar, Leader of the Opposition, Yuri Alemao, Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa, senior party leader M K Sheikh, Capt Viriato Fernandes at his Curtorim residence on Sunday.
After handing over three-wheelers for the 11 beneficiaries, all persons with disabilities, under the MPLAD scheme, the sitting four-time MP unveiled his plans to seek re-election from South Goa in the coming 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “I had told the media recently I may have the wish to seek re-election from South Goa in the coming polls. If you are all behind me I will have no problem. Last time, I had contested and the people of South Goa had given me and the Congress party victory. I have decided to contest again and I am banking on you for your support,” he said.
This is perhaps the first time that Sardinha has come clear in announcing his wish to seek re-election from South Goa, from where he has got elected to the Lok Sabha four times and never lost an election to Parliament.
That the sitting MP announced his plans in the presence of party leaders, including the GPCC chief Amit Patkar and Leader of the Opposition, Yuri Alemao assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the fact that at least three other Congress leaders, including ex-GPCC chief Girish Chodankar, bureaucrat-turned-politician Elvis Gomes and Capt Viriato Fernandes have expressed their willingness to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from South Goa.
Sardinha’s announcement also assumes significance and come against the backdrop of reports that a section of the Congress party is rooting for a candidate from the majority community for South Goa on the premise that the majority community has more population than the minorities.
