the goan I network
MARGAO
All eyes are now focused on the birthday celebration of Goa Forward Party Velim candidate, Anthony Babush Rodrigues on Friday as the GFP leadership is expected to unveil its road map in respect of the February 4 election, even as party mentor Vijai Sardesai said that the ball lies in the court of the Congress party to save the alliance.
The birthday celebration assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the Congress declaring former Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues as the party nominee for the Velim seat, prompting the GFP leadership to cry foul and demand that the party go alone in the election.
Party mentor Vijai Sardesai said the party will unveil its plan of action at Anthony’s birthday celebration, while not ruling out the possibility of many persons coming together as a third force to jointly fight the ensuing elections. “Nothing can be ruled out for the moment. We had given the Congress enough time to take a call on the alliance. And, the party leadership has decided to release the name of the Velim candidate when we had laid a strong claim on the seat,” Vijai said.
The GFP leadership is angry that the Congress released the Velim candidate name at a time when the party was discussing the seat-sharing arrangements with the major opposition party. “What the Congress has done is not in good taste. I do not know the fallout of the Congress decision. The ball lies in the Congress court,” he said, adding that the GFP will unveil its stand on the alliance at the birthday celebrations on Friday.
Incidentally, even as the GFP has informed that party candidates will file their nomination papers on Opinion Poll day anniversary, rebel Congress leader Joaquim Alemao has also informed the media that he too will file his papers for the Cuncolim seat on a party ticket or as an independent on Opinion Poll day.
