Churchill blames Digvijay, Digambar for alliance fiasco

Stating that Congress will be solely responsible if BJP returns to power, NCP accused AICC leader Digvijay Singh and former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat of breaking possible pre-poll ties between the two parties.  

Congress on Sunday released their second list of seven candidates, which included candidates in Vasco and Benaulim constituencies, which NCP had sought in a pre-poll alliance proposal. Addressing media persons on Monday, NCP Benaulim candidate Churchill Alemao questioned Singh’s wisdom in granting a ticket to Kamat, who has been named in as prime accused in the charge sheet filed in the Louis Berger bribery scam while denying him (Alemao) the same citing the charge sheet. “When I had meet Digvijay and expressed my willingness to contest on a Congress ticket from Benaulim, he told me that since there is a charge sheet filed against me in the Louis Berger scam, the ticket cannot be given. He even requested me not to join NCP but any other party, with which they will align for the polls,” Alemao said.  “Now, I want to ask Digvijay how can the party give a ticket to Digambar, who is named as main accused in the charge sheet? How can they adopt two different policies?” the former Congress stalwart asked. 

“Digvijay and Digambar are responsible for breaking Congress ties with NCP,” Alemao said, adding that Kamat had threatened to resign from the party if it aligned with NCP. 

Alemao and Kamat have been named in the charge sheet filed by Crime Branch in the multi-crore scam, with Kamat being identified as the prime accused. 

NCP is now planning to field more candidates in the polls. “We don’t want to field candidates to divide votes but are looking for winnable candidates,” he said. Alemao said he was never in favour of having an alliance with Congress but the NCP high command insisted. 

Earlier, NCP General Secretary Avinash Bhosle said Congress will be solely responsible if BJP returns to power. “Congress will have to take the entire responsibility. Without pre-poll alliance, Congress cannot form a government,” he said.