MAPUSA
If the intention of TMC is to defeat BJP then they should show it by action and not by approaching and poaching Congressmen by offering crores of rupees, alleged Goa Congress President, Girish Chodankar and suggested that TMC should extend support to the Congress which will form the next government in the State.
Chodankar, on Sunday, also said that it was time to bring down posters of a “smiling” Prime Minister Narendra Modi at various petrol pumps which was trying to mock people who were burdened by the steady rise in fuel price.”
“If TMC is against the BJP then they should not break Congressmen. They should break the BJP people. On the contrary, they should come and extend support to Congress where entire Goans want Congress to form the government. They should not come and offer crores of rupees to Congressmen to join them. That is not correct,” Chodankar said.
The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President was responding to a query whether there was a possibility of Congress forming an alliance with the TMC.
Ahead of her two-day visit to Goa, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee had tweeted calling upon individuals, organisations and political parties in the State to join forces to defeat the BJP and their divisive agenda.
Chodankar said Congress has made an alliance with the people of Goa and called on all those forces who wanted to defeat the BJP to come and support the Congress.
“If they (TMC) want to defeat the BJP then they should be clear about it. They should not send mixed signals by creating hurdles and trying to poach Congressmen by luring them with money,” he said.
He also said that people of Goa were well aware who wanted to divide the secular vote and help the BJP.
“In the 2017 assembly election four of our candidates lost because of AAP and that is how we missed the simple majority mark. This time people will not make the same mistake. People will decide to vote for Congress and bring it to power,” the State Congress chief said, adding, “There is only one force that can fight the BJP and that is Congress.”
Hitting out at the BJP-led government at the Centre for the rise in fuel price, Chodankar said the hoardings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s smiling picture at various petrol pumps should be brought down for trying to mock the common men who suffered due to rise in petrol and diesel prices.
“PM Narendra Modi’s smiling hoardings at the petrol pumps appear to indicate that he is having a good laugh at the tribulations of the common men even as the fuel prices keep rising. We need to bring down these hoardings,” he said.
