“Missing. A century plus old party. Since March 2012.Greying and creaking at the edges. Not found in any of Goa’s towns and Talukas.Homeless and penniless. Finder will be richly rewarded with a great politicalfuture”
If well-wishers of the Congress were to draft a “missing”advertisement to try and find their party in Goa, it would read like this.
The Congress may have lost the elections and has probablyaccepted its defeat, but that’s not all. The party’s once vibrant frontalorganizations in the state have apparently thrown in the towel, thereby closingall doors for its revival. “Workers are the backbone of any party. Thereforenot only their interests but their respect too has to be protected. But thesame was missing even when Congress was in the ruling,” said Altinho Gomes,Congress’s general secretary in charge of the headquarters, a telling commentfrom a senior party functionary.
His is the lone voice in the wilderness that is ready tospeak the “truth”, hoping his party will come out from the mess. “All is notwell with Congress,” Gomes confesses.
Other Congress leaders remained silent or chose to speak offrecord, as they did not want to jeopardise their chances of being partyleaders. But all of them are plainly disgusted at the party’s culture of ‘Yesmanship’. At present the Congress hasnine elected MLAs but, apart from Curtorim MLA Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco, noone has visited the Congress house since last march last.
Party leaders and its various wings in Goa make tall claimsof having a strong grip amongst its workers and people, but the situation on theground shows otherwise. Most of the party’s frontal organisations are actuallydefunct or nonfunctional.
There may be various reasons for the situation to come tosuch a pass, but the chief destroyer of the party in the state is thefunctioning of Pradesh Congress Committee. The PCC runs the party against therules laid down by the party, claimed a senior Congressman. “The Congressworkers including those affiliated with youth Congress were either ignored orcompletely marginalised during the five years of Congress led government in theState,” Gomes said.
The Mahila Congress, National Students Union of India, Goachapter and the Seva Dal received no support from the party and the same wasconveyed to AICC General Secretary, Rahul Gandhi, when he recently visited theState, Gomes informed.
The Congress failed to capitalise on issues, just as BJP didwhen they were in opposition. Secondly, promises made to various frontalorganisations of the party were never fulfilled either by the former chiefminister, Digambar Kamat or other Congress leaders. The disappointed workersvoiced their anger during the elections which led to the party’s debacle at thehustings, disclosed another Congress leader.
The other issues before the frontal organisations are lackof discipline, proper leadership and funding. The unceremonious removal ofMonica Dias and sidelining of NSUI and Seva Dal also needs to be looked intoseriously, said a senior Congressman at Congress head office.
The Goan, in an attempt to find out the ground realities,spoke to various leaders who actually matter the most for the Congress partyespecially during the elections.
Most said that the State Congress party merely used them butfailed to give back. They said they were completely demoralised after themassive loss in the assembly elections. While the party has decided tostrengthen itself at the grassroots, at the booth level meetings that arecurrently taking place, it remains to be seen who stands up to lead the party,which now appears to be a feeble opposition to the ruling BJP.
