MARGAO
Team Congress descended in Curtorim to make a determined bid to wrest the seat from former party MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, with Rahul Gandhi leading from the front to tell Curtorkars to reject the defector.
Without taking Reginaldo’s name, Rahul Gandhi said the whole world knows that the BJP is supporting the defector, urging the people not to waste their vote but put their efforts to defeat the BJP in the coming polls. “A defector is moving around in this constituency. Ask him, from where he is getting the support and from which party. The whole world knows that the BJP is supporting the defector. Don’t waste your vote, but come together to defeat the BJP”, he said, while addressing a meeting at Curtorim on Friday evening.
He added: “You told us not to give tickets to the defectors and we have not given tickets to anyone. You demanded fresh, young, honest faces and we have given a young, fresh and dynamic candidate. You give us the direction and we have listened to your request”.
Saying the ensuing electoral battle is a battle between the Congress and BJP, Rahul Gandhi told the people that other parties cannot win and form the government. “But, we want a solid majority for the Congress. Don’t waste your vote. If you do so you will waste your vote and benefit the BJP,” he added.
Senior top Congress leaders, including K C Venugopal, Congress election observer, P Chidambaram, Goa desk in-charge, Dinesh Gundu Rao, GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha all descended in Curtorim, with a clear agenda to tell Curtorkars to defeat Regianldo in the husting.
The presence of senior Congress leaders and that Francisco Sardinha also returned back from Delhi to his home constituency comes against the backdrop of reports that the Reginaldo Lourenco is back in reckoning in Curtorim as an Independent candidate.
