Team Herald
PANJIM: In a major embarrassment, Congress leader Surendra Furtado was shown the ‘door’ by party workers for hobnobbing with former rebel, St Cruz MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate on Thursday, when he tried to attend the party meeting chaired by All India Congress Committee General Secretary and Goa Desk in-charge Digvijay Singh.
Congress workers recommended to the High Command that action be initiated against Furtado for his anti-party activities in contesting the CCP polls against the Congress. Furtado is contesting from Ward No 10 on Monserrate’s panel along with his wife Ruth who is a candidate in Ward No 9.
Sources said that with Singh refusing to allow Furtado to defend his decision, party workers, including MLA and CCP election in-charge Pandurang Madkaikar, asked Furtado to “get lost” from the party head office.
The block committee members from several North Goa constituencies were present for the meeting, when Furtado tried to enter the room. Angry workers, fuming at Furtado’s presence, said he was there to gain sympathy from the High Command.
“Furtado came to met Singh so that he can prove to Congress voters that the party has no differences with him and he can take mileage and get Congress votes,” sources said. “Digvijayji refused to entertain him and said he would not like to listen to his grievance at this point,” sources said.
When contacted, Madkaikar said, “He has split with Congress and there is no point in allowing him to continue with the party.”
Furtado, a former Panjim mayor, had contested the Panjim by-poll in February 2015 on the Congress ticket.
“I went there as I was called by AICC secretary Chellakumar. But the party workers were upset to see me there,” Furtado said, when contacted.
