The younger Congressmen stressed that none of the newly appointment committee members have either protested or taken part in any movement against the BJP government over the last four years, unlike the younger members.
Young Congmen rebel against old guard
THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
A motley group of three young Congressmen, headed by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) secretary Durgadas Kamat, on Thursday wrote to All India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijay Singh demanded the dissolution of the recently appointed Election Committee and Coordination Committee, which is in charge of strategizing for the upcoming polls to the Assembly in 2017.
Claiming that these committees include mainly the old guard, which has lost ground support since 2012, Kamat, Adv Tanvir Khatib and Raylan Cabral have asked for announcement of fresh committees with greater representation to youngsters from cross-sections of society.
The inclusion of several older party leaders of yesteryears has been opposed vehemently by these Congressmen, who have threatened to host a Congress youth convention to decide their next move, if these appointments are not withdrawn by the end of April.
Addressing the media on Thursday at Panaji, Kamat stated, “We have faxed a letter to Digvijay Singh, the Goa desk in-charge seeking the disbanding of these two panels as they comprise leaders who were rejected by the people in the 2012 polls.”
“Except for token representation for the youth, who are overwhelmingly outnumbered, both the committees have preponderance of ageing leaders who do not have any following among the younger voters, especially the first-timers," reads the letter, signed by Kamat and others.
Commenting on the circumstances leading up these appointments, Kamat said, “It is obvious from most of the names figuring in the lists that the AICC is being totally misled by the State leaders who seem to be interested only in promoting themselves and their children.”
The younger Congressmen sought to stress that none of the newly appointment committee members have either protested or taken part in any movement against the BJP government over the last four years, unlike the younger members.
Congress worker Raylan Cabral said, “We hope that the high command will act early and decisively in the matter and ensure that the party in Goa is seen as a representative of the Goan youth rather than old fogeys, as is perceived today.”
AICC had announced the formation of its Goa election committee headed by GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro. The 17-member committee includes former chief ministers Pratapsingh Rane, Digambar Kamat, Ravi Naik and Francisco Sardinha, Rajya sabha MP Shantaram Naik and sitting MLAs Pandurang Madkaikar (Cumbharjua), Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar (Quepem), Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco (Curtorim) and Vishwajeet Rane (Valpoi).
The 22-member State coordination committee headed by the general secretary in-charge of Goa desk Digvijay Singh and Faleiro as the convenor, includes secretary, AICC and former youth wing president Girish Chodankar, former PCC president Subhash Shirodkar, former Union minister Ramakant Khalap, former minister Manohar (Babu) Azgaonkar, Pramod Salgaocar, M K Shaikh, Moti Desai and presidents of students wing NSUI, youth Congress, Mahila Congress and Seva Dal as members.
