MARGAO
Will incumbent MP Francisco Sardinha secure re-nomination from the Congress party for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, or will former Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Chief Girish Chodankar emerge as a contender for the coveted Lok Sabha ticket?
These questions are circulating both within Congress circles and beyond as GPCC Chief Amit Patkar and Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao headed to the national capital to attend a crucial meeting of the Congress screening panel on Tuesday evening. Congress Goa in-charge, Manikrao Thakare, will join them in Delhi for the meeting.
Eight aspirants are believed to have applied for the Congress ticket to contest the upcoming elections from South Goa, but the competition appears to be primarily between Sardinha and his challengers for the prized party ticket.
Here's a look at the contenders:
Francisco Sardinha: The incumbent South Goa MP, has never lost a Lok Sabha election since his first tenure in the mid-90s. Despite being denied the ticket in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, he made a comeback in 2019, winning the seat by a narrow margin and aiding Congress in reclaiming the seat from the BJP. Sardinha has publicly asserted his claim for the party ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll, expressing confidence in retaining the seat if given the opportunity. However, opponents argue that his age may not be in his favour, advocating for younger candidates within the party.
Girish Chodankar: The former GPCC Chief has also put forward a strong case for the South Goa ticket, even taking a six-month leave to focus on his campaign. Chodankar, however, faces the challenge of convincing the party high command to depart from the tradition of fielding a candidate from the minority community for South Goa. While Chodankar argues that South Goa is no longer a minority-dominated constituency, critics contend that the majority of the majority community supports the BJP, warning of difficulties in winning the seat if the minority community does not vote uniformly for the party.
Captain Viriato Fernandes: An ex-Navy Captain, Viriato is known for his social activism, having associated himself with the popular movements in the State, including the agitation against the three linear projects, including the track doubling project. Having made an electoral debut in the 2022 Assembly election from Dabolim, before going down to heavyweight Mauvin Godinho, Captain Viriato has been projected in Congress circles as a candidate capable of taking on the BJP. In fact, many say his background as an ex-Navy Captain will keep him in good stead in the hinterland talukas of South Goa.
Elvis Gomes: The bureaucrat-turned-politician had contested the South Goa Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 election on the Aam Admi Party (AAP) ticket before he embraced the Congress party. Having set his eyes on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Elvis has made his presence felt in the constituency, taking up public issues across the South Goa district. Congress party functionaries say that Elvis has not submitted his application to the party forum for the party ticket. Others, however, say that he has handed over his application to the party leadership.
