MARGAO: Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress President Pratima Coutinho agreed to be the Congress candidate from Navelim at the Zilla Panchayat bye elections only following the advice and suggestions given by the party leadership and said her desire to contest the assembly elections still remains.
Speaking to media persons she said Pradesh Congress President Girish Chodankar, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro and Goa in charge Dinesh Gundurao all prevailed upon her to contest the elections for the sake of the party.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
“I have been a loyal Congress worker for the last 24 years and hence I decided to be the candidate for the sake of the party,” she said while expressing confidence that she would emerge victorious. She disclosed that she toured the four panchayats of the constituency in four days and met around 70 people before deciding to contest.
Pradesh Congress President Girish Chodankar recalled that Pratima had joined the Congress as a Youth Congress President and later on became the Pradesh Youth Congress President and for the last four years has been functioning as Pradesh Mahila Congress President.
“It all depends upon the person, there were no powers as Mahila Congress President yet Pratima did so much and I am confident she will perform exceedingly well as ZP member too,” he said when it was pointed out that the ZP has no powers.
Girish said Eldrich Coelho is quite young and has a bright future ahead when asked what happened to the demand to field him as a candidate. It may be recalled that ZP elections in Navelim were postponed following the death of the Congress candidate Santa Rita Coelho and soon thereafter there was a demand that Santa Rita’s son Eldrich be nominated for the bye elections.
Replying to a question Pratima said her ambition to contest the assembly elections still remains. “I am young when considering the fact that people in their 60s are contesting elections,” she said indicating that this is just a beginning.
