MARGAO
Recent reports that the Congress will open the doors for Independent Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar and field him as the party candidate in 2022 has come under opposition from Sanguem block Congress workers, who even went to the extent of saying they will have to think about their future if the party leadership decides to foist a candidate on them.
A delegation of Sanguem block Congress workers led by Abhijit Prabhudesai called on Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat at his Malbhat residence and made it clear that the leadership should take the workers into confidence before taking a call on the party candidate. In fact, they told Kamat that while they have no objection if the Independent MLA is given entry into the party, they, however, asserted that the ticket should be given to a worker who has worked for the party during the last five years.
After giving the delegation a patient hearing, the Opposition leader later told the media that he has requested the workers from Sanguem to convey their sentiments and grievances to the AICC observer Dinesh Gundu Rao during his interaction with the grassroot workers. “Dinesh Rao had interactions with three blocks in North Goa during his recent visit. He is scheduled to meet grassroot workers during his next visit, which will give the workers an opportunity to convey their sentiments to Rao,” he said adding that the workers have demanded that they should be taken into confidence before finalising the candidate.
Abhijit Prabhudesai later told the media that members of the Sanguem Congress block has called on the Opposition leader over reports that the party has committed the Sanguem ticket to Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar.
“We have come to verify the reports and to tell the Opposition leader that those who have worked for the party in the last five years should be taken into confidence by the leadership,” he said adding that those who have worked for the party should not be sidelined at the time of finalising the candidate.
Abhijit said the Independent MLA should have joined the party during the Zilla Panchayat election as such a step would have helped the Congress win the two seats from the taluka. “Prasad had worked against the Congress candidates and had caused division in the votes. If the party does not want to take the workers into confidence, they will be left with no option than to think about their future since we all have been working for the party in the last five years,” he added.
Former Sarpanch Harikukar Zambaulikar and GPCC Secretary Rajnikant Naik demanded that the party leadership take the workers into confidence before finalising the candidate for the Sanguem seat.
