TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Has the Congress leadership no agenda to rejuvenate and strengthen the party organisation in Fatorda constituency – once the Congress stronghold in Salcete?
Blame it on the V-factor or otherwise, the Fatorda unit of the Congress appears a neglected lot by the party leadership and has been craving for attention ever since the Congress received a humiliating drubbing in the 2012 Assembly polls. Otherwise, just consider this. The Congress leadership was quick to appoint Margao Municipal Councillor Tito Cardozo as Fatorda block president soon after the en masse resignation of Congress office bearers on the eve of the 2012 polls following denial of party ticket to Vijai Sardessai.
Since then, the Fatorda block committee and local Congress have been literally struggling to put its act together and make a semblance of presence in a constituency, which until two years had been the party’s stronghold.
In November last, the block president had proposed to outgoing GPCC president Subhash Shirodkar to reconstitute the block with the induction of 30 members. Upon request of the then GPCC chief, Cardozo had submitted a list to 30 names for induction into the block committee, but till date the list has not received approval from the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee. When the block president had inquired with the party leadership, a former general secretary advised Cardozo to submit
the bio-data of the list of office bearers before their induction into the block committee.
Interestingly, while the block president was prompt in submitting the bio-data of his office bearers, nothing has been heard from the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee till date.
Says Tito Cardozo: “We have no idea why the party leadership has delayed in the appointment of party office bearers. I had personally spoken to the outgoing GPCC president, but he had only promised me the early constitution of the block”.
Cardozo now plans to take up the matter with the newly-appointed GPCC chief John Fernandes, pinning hopes on the new president to help reconstitute the block and help boost the sagging morale of the party rank and file.
Incidentally, the party has till date not responded to the plea made by veteran Congressman and former three-time MLA Luis Alex Cardozo to senior Congress leaders, including leader of Opposition and party MPs to regularly visit the South Goa district office and hear the grievances of the local party workers. In fact, Congress workers find themselves at the cross roads in Fatorda, with independent MLA Vijai Sardessai and the BJP calling the shots in the constituency.
