MARGAO
South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha on Thursday said GPCC chief Girish Chodankar could be one of the causes behind Luizinho Faleiro quitting Congress and embrace the Trinamool Congress.
Sardinha declined to comment if the party high command should go for course correction, but hoped the episode will open the eyes of the party leadership.
He, however, said since the high command had capped the leadership issue by retaining Girish, it was for all the leaders and workers to unitedly work and ensure victory of the party.
“Many would ask why Luizinho left the party. Luizinho did not want Girish. I also did not want Girish. And, we had told the High Command what we wanted to tell. There’s an old saying that when you cannot cut a hand, you have to kiss. When the party has decided to retain Girish, we have to see that the party wins. We don’t care for individuals, but we care for the party. I am there for the party”, he said.
To another question, Sardinha maintained he has not discussed with Luizinho on his resignation. Luizinho has not discussed with me, I feel that Girish might be one of the causes”.
Commenting on party leaders joining Aam Admi Party and TMC, Sardinha reminded that AAP candidates could not save their deposits when they contested last time. He added that TMC which had tested the electoral waters in the last elections also could not save their deposits. “I felt hurt since our sitting MLA has joined TMC, because he had worked for me. Some of the 10 Congress MLAs who had left the party had also worked for me”, he said.
Sardinha, however, said the Congress is alive because of the work by the workers. “No one is a born leader. He may have the qualities of a leader, but who makes him a leader is the workers and voters. I had also left the party for various reasons”, he said, while urging the workers to keep the party alive in the state.
