FATORDA: Even as the Congress high command is yet to endorse anybody’s candidature, it is certain that Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) working president Aleixo Sequeira would contest from Nuvem constituency on a Congress ticket and has also started work on the ground.
Attention has now turned to GPCC president Girish Chodankar, and from where he would contest. It is pertinent to note that Chodankar always desires to contest the Assembly elections and from the most challenging of seats. In 2019 he contested the bypolls from Panjim.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
In an interesting development Congress loyalists from Fatorda have claimed that the constituency has always remained as a core Congress seat and hence Congress should not go for any alliance with Goa Forward and should field Chodankar from the constituency.
“We only have few options – either we can vote for Vijai Sardesai or Damu Naik and by voting them, it is like voting for BJP only. However, we have Girish who is from Fatorda and has proven himself as a good team leader while performing duties of GPCC president. We need a Congress option here. Even non-Congress people are talking about an option, other than Vijai or Damu. Vijai has been winning this seat with Congress support and if he can win with our support, why shouldn’t a loyalist be a contender here?” said Maria Da Gama, a Congress loyalist.
Carmen Vaz from Fatorda said, “As Mahila president for Fatorda Block Congress, we feel that all these years Congress voters have been supporting Vijai from Fatorda, but since last time he cheated us and joined hands with BJP, so this time we don’t want a similar thing to happen and hence we want Girish to come back and contest from the hot seat of Fatorda.”
She, however, also said that if Congress decides on an alliance with Goa Forward then they won’t support the Congress and might even vote for Damu Naik. “This time we are serious and hence we want Girish to contest from Fatorda and we will surely get him elected with majority votes. Even people are asking us why there is no Congress candidate in Fatorda,” Vaz said.
When contacted Chodankar said, “I am loyal soldier of the Congress party and I will take up any responsibility that the party wants me to take up.”
The Congress has not officially decided who to field from Fatorda yet.
