MARGAO
With just two days to go for counting of votes scheduled on June 4, Congress leadership, including Congress president Amit Patkar, Opposition leader Yuri Alemao and Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa are back in the cynosure of all eyes.
Bereft of MLAs and party organisation worth its name in many an Assembly segment, party leadership is hoping that the party fare well in at least the segments of Cuncolim, Quepem and Curchorem to stop a surging BJP if not to give an outright lead for Captain Viriato Fernandes in these three segments.
Given that they were elected from their respective constituencies of Cuncolim and Quepem just two years ago in the 2022 Assembly elections, party leaders expect the duo to give sizable lead for Captain Viriato from these two segments.
It’s not that the Congress had not led over the BJP in the elections held in the recent past, but Congress leaders in private say sizeable lead in Cuncolim and Quepem will keep the party in good stead and to make up for any shortfall in other segments.
Similarly, many in the Congress had expected GPCC chief Amit Patkar to not only take charge of his home constituency of Curchorem represented by BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral, but organise the party campaign in the mining belt of Sanvordem and Sanguem.
