the goan I network
MARGAO
Six days after a group of party MLAs embraced the BJP, the South Goa District Congress Committee has expelled the five MLAs from South Goa and dissolved the blocks of Quepem, Canacona, Velim and Nuvem after reports that office bearers from these constituencies have moved out with their defected leaders.
Show-cause notices will also be issued to district secretaries, Curtorim Sarpanch Rui Menezes and Pramod Faldesai (Canacona), besides executive committee members of the district Prashant Prabhudesai (Quepem), Valentino Barretto (Velim) and Suman Gaonkar from Canacona.
The District Committee headed by Joe Dias has also resolved that the five MLAs from the district, including Babu Kavlekar, Isidore Fernandes, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Clafacio Dias and Wilfred D’Sa should not be taken back in the party, warning that the district committee will oppose tooth and nail any such move even by the high command.
“We had contacted the block presidents and members of the respective blocks in South Goa where the MLAs have deserted the party and had invited them for the monthly meeting, some of them did not turn up. As such, the South Goa District Congress Committee has resolved to dissolve such blocks and expel such members, who have deserted the party,” he said.
While making a fervent plea to the people of Goa not to trust the deserters, Joe vowed to strengthen the organization and build next-generation leaders, who will fulfil the aspirations of Goa. “We will start working at the grassroots. Constituents will be consulted to reorganize the blocks,” he said. Asked why the District Committee has not dissolved the Cuncolim block with MLA Clafacio Dias moving into the BJP, Joe said block president Landry Mascarenhas has conveyed to the district committee and he and his block committee members have not moved out of the Congress.
