the goan I network
mapusa
The Congress on Thursday accused the Goa Forward Party (GFP), a coalition partner in the BJP-led dispensation in the State, of pressuring the government to get their way.
Congress also warned that GFP was making use of leaders belonging to the Bahujan Samaj for its selfish interest.
“GFP is making a lot of noise and trying to confuse the minds of people. Many times, the chief minister has also fallen in the trap and yielded to pressures exerted by the party’s president,” said Amarnath Panjikar, PCC member and Congress spokesman.
The Congress spokesman along with former Mayem sarpanch Anand Naik was addressing a news conference in Mapusa office. Panjikar said that GFP and its President, Vijai Sardessai, was giving entry to people in their party with false promises of party tickets in the next assembly elections.
“In Mayem they took Santosh Sawant in their party and virtually announced that he was the party candidate of the constituency in the next assembly polls,” he said.
He disclosed that when the BJP MLA of Mayem complained to its high command, Vijai changed his stance and said that GFP would expand without hurting the alliance partner (BJP). “This clearly shows GFP chief has cheated Santosh Sawant in Mayem by giving him false promises. This way, he is making use of leaders belonging to Bahujan Samaj to achieve his selfish goals,” he said.
“I won’t be surprised if he may also dump the other two of his ministerial colleagues to get on with his way,” he added.
He alleged that Sawant was given entry into the party only to put pressure on the government and the chief minister to clear certain files. He said GFP was made up of people who have selfish interests and were only bothered about the chair and their personal interests.
Panjikar said that Congress will always maintain a distance and never align with GFP. “Our GPCC president, Girish Chodankar, believes in clean politics and when he said Congress will never align with GFP, the party will stand by his word,” he said.
Former Mayem sarpanch and PCC member, Anand Naik said in current situation, it appears not a single candidate of GFP would get elected next time.
