Team Herald

PANJIM: The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee is closely watching the political developments unfolding in Goa. 

A statement issued by GPCC President Girish Chodankar said, “We would also like to remind the people of Goa, that their well-being is the last thing on the minds of the ruling political parties who are unleashing the ugly game of power and clamouring for their benefit.”

He said that BJP’s and its allies’ greed for power is exposed as they can’t even give charge to a trusted lieutenant in the absence of the CM.

“While we sympathise with the Chief Minister as far as his health is concerned, his act of snatching away the mandate given to the Congress in the 2017 Assembly elections and his total mismanagement of all major issues in Goa, including mining, formalin, food adulteration, pollution, CRZ, TCP, Casino, unemployment, etc, had already driven Goa to the edge,” he said. 

Chodankar said that no one in Goa is happy, BJP is not happy, the allies are not happy, people of Goa are unhappy, bureaucrats and government officers are unhappy, even the CM and ministers are unhappy. “This happens when you don’t respect people’s mandate. BJP and its allies should take up responsibility of this mess created in Goa over the last 16 months,” he said.

He added that the ‘current confusion of epic proportions’ is only going to hurt the prospects of the State further, especially when BJP does not even have a second-in-command to succeed Parrikar in his absence. 

“The very fact that a second-in-command was never allowed to be groomed by the BJP, shows how selfish interests have sacrificed the interest of the party and the State of Goa,” Chodankar said. 

He added that Congress never hesitated to play the role of a constructive and effective Opposition, but will not hesitate to come forward and take responsibility to form a government. 

“We have already cautioned Governor Dr Mridula Sinha about a possible ploy by the BJP to fraudulently impose President's Rule in Goa, through the backdoor. We urge her once again, that the Congress should be given an opportunity to form a stable government in Goa, in view of the prevailing political chaos in the State,” he said.