MARGAO
In an apparent bid to send the right signal that the party is solidly behind Mahila Congress Chief Pratima Coutinho, party bigwigs accompanied Coutinho to the Returning Officer on Tuesday as she filed her nomination papers for the Navelim ZP seat.
Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat, GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar, Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro, district president Joe Dias, besides Mahilas all stood behind Pratima outside the office of the Returning Officer after she filed her papers, sending a clear signal to the party rank and file that Pratima will wrest the Navelim ZP
seat from two-time Independent ZP member Cipru Cardozo.
While wishing all success to Pratima, Navelim MLA and veteran Congress leader, Luizinho Faleiro, said that Pratima has not just worked in Navelim, but across the state, espousing the cause of the common man.
He appealed to the people of Navelim, Telaulim, Dramapur-Sirlim and Sarzora to extend their support, help and blessings to Pratima and get her elected with a thumping majority.
“Of these four panchayat areas, the panchayats of Dramapur-Sirlim and Sarzora fall in the neighbouring Velim Assembly constituency,” Faleiro said.
Saying that Congress leaders will be visiting the panchayat areas to drum up support for Pratima, Faleiro said it is the duty and responsibility of every leader and worker, whether he is an MLA or panchayat member, to support the party candidate.
Opposition Leader, Digambar Kamat, said the party has nominated Pratima for the Navelim seat, exuding confidence that her work will keep her in good stead. “We all expect her to win the election without any difficulty,” she added.
GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar urged the people of Navelim ZP seat to support Pratima, reminding them that the BJP has been opposing women reservations across the state. “We are confident that the people of Navelim will not disappoint Congress and party candidate Pratima Coutinho,” he added.
District Chief Joe Dias exuded confidence that the people of Dramapur-Sirlim and Sarzora along with Navelim and Telaulim will rally behind Pratima Coutinho to give the party candidate a huge victory margin.
In her address, Pratima thanked the party leadership for nominating her to contest the Navelim ZP seat.
Heaping praises on Luizinho Faleiro as the tallest leader of Navelim, Pratima said she was given the go-ahead signal by Faleiro to test the political waters.
“People of Navelim should consider my work over the years and give me a huge victory margin,” she said, adding that she has accepted the job given to her by the party as a loyal soldier.
