PANAJI:
The Congress party has reaffirmed that leaders who defected from the party will not be given tickets for the 2027 Assembly elections, reiterating a decision taken in 2022 under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.
GPCC President Girish Chodankar on Tuesday said there should be no confusion regarding the party's stand on defectors, asserting that the decision remains unchanged.
"The Congress Party stands for ideology, commitment and loyalty. Those who abandoned the party for personal ambition cannot expect rewards at the cost of dedicated workers who stood by the party during difficult times," Chodankar said.
He added that the party would continue to honour loyal workers and leaders who remained committed despite repeated attempts to weaken the organisation through defections.
Chodankar said the Congress is focused on strengthening its grassroots network and preparing for future elections with workers who have earned the trust of the people through consistent service.
The clarification comes in the backdrop of the 2022 defection of eight Congress MLAs to the BJP, including Michael Lobo, Digambar Kamat and Sankalp Amonkar. The party had also suffered a major split in 2019 when 10 of its 15 MLAs joined the BJP.
"The message is clear. There will be no compromise on loyalty, integrity and political accountability," Chodankar said.
