Team Herald
PANJIM: A day after tendering his resignation from the post of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president, former Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik wants a Congress loyalist, who has served party for at least ten years, as his successor.
Addressing media persons on Wednesday, Naik also said that senior leaders across the country should make way for the younger generation to take over under the presidentship of Rahul Gandhi.
“I cannot decide who should be my successor but I can suggest that the person should be one who has given at least ten years to the party. He should have love and commitment to the party. The commitment should be towards the party and not towards an individual,” Naik said.
“In our party I have seen people being loyal to only individuals and not Congress party as a whole,” he commented.
AICC secretary Girish Chodankar and GPCC spokesperson Yatish Naik are the front-runners for the post. MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco’s name is also making the rounds.
Naik said that he sent his resignation to the party president on Tuesday. “I was inspired so much that I wanted to resign there and then itself. But on second thoughts, I felt it is not proper to resign during the event. I came to Goa and sent my resignation letter to AICC President Rahul Gandhi with copy to Sonia Gandhi.”
Asked whether some senior Congress leaders and MLAs in Goa should also pave the way for the new generation to take over, Naik said, “I cannot compel anyone to do so, but whoever feels that they have enjoyed and that their political career is complete should step aside”.
In reply to another question on whether the party will give election tickets to fresh faces, Naik said, “The youth should show their capabilities to win. With Rahul Gandhi taking over, I don’t think there is anything to look back for the younger generation.”
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We will not shirk from forming
government, if it collapses: Naik
Outgoing GPCC chief Shantaram Naik reiterated that the Congress is not interested in bringing down the government, but will take over if it collapses. “We will not pull down government. But, if government collapses on its own, we will not shirk from our responsibility to take over,” he said. “We cannot even thinking of pulling down the government as there is no government in the State. There is no constitutional government in force,” he said adding that he had raised the issue during the AICC steering committee meeting held in New Delhi last week.
