PANAJI
Maharashtra Congress leader Manikrao Thakare who is credited with a role in the party gaining power in Telangana and is now the new AICC desk in-charge of Goa has underscored the need for unity among Congressmen to face the upcoming Lok Sabha elections for the two seats in the State.
Thakare, who was in-charge of Telangana for nearly a year in the run up to last year-end elections in that State, was in Goa and interacted with partymen in South Goa said the party will have to unitedly fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections for the two parliamentary seats.
Thakare said the electoral success in Telangana can be replicated here in Goa as it is not magic but sheer hard work and dedication of party workers and leaders which worked.
“Whatever experience I have in Telangana can be brought to Goa and put to use to help leaders here win elections,” Thakare said.
Thakare said the work in Telangana involved building the organisation for 11 months.
The Maharashtra veteran Congressman had been in Goa on his maiden visit since being appointed in-charge of the State since Monday and confabulated with the party's office-bearers and also met party workers in South Goa where he pledged to meet cadres and every leader of the State.
"It may take time but I will meet everyone from the party in Goa," Thakare said while interacting with the media in the capital city where GPCC chief Amit Patkar, Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao and other leaders were also present.
He said he has instructed party leaders and workers to work in tandem and avoid making unnecessary public statements detrimental to the party.
Thakare said party workers and leaders have been told to work in tandem and avoid making statements against the party, while adding that there are good leaders and workers in Goa.
"Mistakes have happened in the past but the position of the party in Goa is good with strength to win elections," Thakare said.
Thakare comes to the helm at a time when the Congress is presently a pale shadow of itself which was a dominating ruling party for nearly three decades since 1980.
It has been out of power in the State since badly losing the 2012 assembly election. It is currently struggling to regroup after suffering a deathly blow when in a mass defection eight of its legislators crossed over to the ruling BJP in 2022, barely six months after the party won 11 seats in the 2022 elections.
