Leader of the Opposition and Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao, while speaking in an interview with a local news channel, said that the Congress party would declare its candidates before any other party in Goa. But the big question is: when? When even national cricket and football teams announce their players and captains months before major tournaments, especially the World Cup, why is the Congress party still hesitating to declare its candidates for the 2027 Goa Assembly elections? Or is the Congress waiting to sell tickets to the highest bidders, as it has allegedly done in the past, and field weak candidates in various constituencies at the last minute, effectively giving the BJP a walkover in Goa?
Having observed the body language of two prominent elected leaders among the three Congress MLAs who have remained with the party over the past four and a half years, I feel that all is not well within the Congress. Both these self-centred leaders appear to be trying to outsmart each other, while desperately dreaming of becoming Chief Minister in a Congress-led government if the party somehow manages to secure a simple majority in the 2027 Assembly elections. Unfortunately, given the ongoing infighting within the party, that prospect appears increasingly remote. Unless the Congress leadership puts its house in order, resolves its internal differences and provides clarity on its electoral strategy, the party risks undermining its own chances before the election campaign even gathers momentum. God alone can save the Congress party in Goa!
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
