MARGAO
The Congress has a clear cut task at hand “ how to convince the party rank and file that the winnability factor weighed heavily while finalising the candidates in the party stronghold Salcete.
This question assumes significance and comes against the backdrop not just because the party is hit by rebellion in a couple of constituencies, including Velim and Benaulim, but party workers have been seeking answers on the moot question how come new entrants into the party won the prized tickets, while the loyal soldiers were left high and dry.
For, barring the two constituencies of Margao and Nuvem, where the party has settled for senior leaders, Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat and working president Aleixo Sequeira respectively, the party has nominated candidates in the remaining five seats, whose association with the party, is just two-day old in the case of Benaulim candidate Tony Dias and close to two years in respect of Velim candidate Savio D’Silva.
If opposition leader Digambar Kamat had literally struggled to answer queries from the media over the preference of new entrants over the existing workers for the tickets, Congress leaders in private seemed to have no explanation other than saying that winnability got precedence over other factors, including loyalty.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) chief Girish Chodankar was not available for comment, but leaders close to him pointed out that a host of factors, including the winnability factor, TMC entry into the State’s political arena, potential rebels amongst the ticket aspirants et all finally went into the selection of the candidates in the five constituencies.
While allegations are out in the open that certain party leaders have distributed the tickets to candidates of their choice in order to form a lobby with an eye on government formation, GPCC sources maintained that the party’s internal surveys, conducted thrice in the run to the selection of candidates, also weighed heavily in the mind of the members of the Central Election Committee (CEC).
“Trinamool Congress party’s entry had a telling effect on the party when the party began taking away our leaders and workers. Our entry strategy was changed to meet the TMC challenge on the ground. There may be an odd exception, but the selection of candidates was made keeping into mind the winnability factor,” remarked a leader.
A glance at the Congress candidates in the five constituencies of Cuncolim, Velim, Navelim, Curtorim and Benaulim shows that the candidates are either imported from other parties or have joined the party in the last two years.
Take the case of Cuncolim, where the Congress has nominated Yuri Alemao, son of former MLA Joaquim Alemao. Yuri had officially joined the Congress in November 2020, though he had supported the Congress campaign for the Guirdolim Zilla Panchayat seat in early 2020 and later successfully led the party campaign for the Cuncolim Municipal polls in 2021.
Similar is the case in neighbouring Velim constituency. Party candidate Savio D’Silva had joined the party on the eve of the 2020 Zilla Panchayat polls when the party leaders were not in favour of fielding candidate for the Velim ZP seat. There’s been no looking back for Savio after the Congress won the Velim ZP seat. His bete noire Benjamin D’Silva, who has lost the ticket race, had joined the party in 2021.
In Navelim, Congress candidate Avertano Furtado had joined the party just three months ago, around September-end, 2021 to be precise. Avertano, who was a Minister in the government of former Chief Minister, late Manohar Parrikar had embraced the party after Congress veteran Luizinho Faleiro had quit the party to join the Trinamool Congress.
The remaining two seats of Benaulim and Curtorim have party candidates, who have joined the Congress just days ago. If party Benaulim Congress candidate Tony Dias had joined the party just days ago on January 18 after being welcomed by Opposition leader Digambar Kamat. Former flamboyant Minister, Mickky Pacheco, had made a strong claim for the Congress Benaulim ticket, had joined the party in mid-August, 2021.
Incidentally, Congress Curtorim candidate Moreno Rebello had quit the party on December 10 to join the BJP when his name was recommended by the Curtorim block for the Congress ticket. He returned back to the party around 20 days later on December 31 after Congress candidate Reginado Lourenco left the party to embrace the Trinamool Congress.
