MARGAO
With his name figuring prominently in the list of candidates for the North and South Goa Lok Sabha seats, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Girish Chodankar on Thursday said that he will go by the decision of the Congress President Rahul Gandhi on the question of contesting the poll.
He, however, hastened to that he had neither lobbied for his candidature with anyone nor has he submitted his application for the party ticket either in the North or the South.
Chodankar’s statement assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of reports in Congress circles that the GPCC chief is a strong contender for the party ticket for the North and South Goa seats.
“Let me make it categorically clear that I have neither lobbied with anyone in support of my candidature for the ensuing Lok Sabha poll nor have I submitted any application for the party ticket. But, if the Congress President Rahul Gandhi feels that my services are to be utilized in the ensuing election, I will go
by whatever decision is taken by the party leadership,” Chodankar told The Goan on Thursday.
The GPCC chief pointed out that he had always been at the service of the party as a loyal solider. “When the party had asked me to contest the Margao assembly seat in 2002 at the last moment, I didn’t say no. More recently, when the party leadership in Delhi asked me to cross swords against Manohar Parrikar in Panaji, I had obeyed the directions as a loyal party soldier,” he said.
While Congress workers close to the GPCC chief’s camp in private say that Girish has emerged as a strong contender for the South Goa Lok Sabha seat, they, however, admit that he may not be considered if the party leadership sticks to the established norm of nominating a member of the minority Catholic community as the candidate.
In that event, the GPCC chief’s close supporters say that Chodankar may be considered for the North Goa seat if the party does not find a suitable candidate to take on BJP veteran and Union Minister Shripad Naik.
