Team Herald

PANJIM: For the second consecutive day, Goa desk in charge Dr Chellakumar continued consultations with senior State party leaders and MLAs to shortlist the next Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President.

Seven candidates are currently in the fray – All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Girish Chodankar, GPCC member Sankalp Amonkar, former Chief Minister and sitting MLA Digambar Kamat, MLA Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco, MLA Ravi Naik, former MP Francisco Sardinha and GPCC general secretary Adv Yatish Naik.

Chellakumar, who arrived in Goa on Friday, held a series of one-to-one meetings with party MLAs, leaders and workers to short list the candidates.

Chellakumar said the name of the new State unit president would be announced in the next ten days. “I will be submitting my report to INC President Rahul Gandhi, who will take the final call,” he said.

“We are looking for a person who is aggressive in stance, who raises his voice for the people of the State, who is accessible to the cadres and who has an experience in organisation. There is a question of loyalty as well,” he said, confirming that some MLAs are also in the fray.

The AICC leader said that senior leaders are of the opinion that this is the right time to go for a new generation of leadership. “Even our Congress president mentioned that we will give a new generation of leaders without eliminating or sidelining the seniors. The seniors will be repositioned in the party. The local political scenario will be taken into consideration,” he said.

When contacted, CLP leader Chandrakant Kavlekar said that every MLA has expressed his view on who the next PCC chief should be. “Whatever decision Rahul Gandhi and Dr Chellakumar takes we will welcome it,” he said.

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Shantaram was asked to quit: sources

Contrary to the reason cited by outgoing Congress President Shanataram Naik that inspired by Rahul Gandhi’s speech he decided to resign, party sources confirmed that the former MP was asked to step down by the High command. Sources revealed that during the AICC steering committee meeting, Naik was asked to step down from the post owing to his failure to handle the party organisation. “The high command, including Goa desk in charge Dr Chellakumar, was not happy with the way Naik was handling the State issues. Naik failed to corner the government and was not found aggressive against the government,” sources said. Naik, when contacted denied this saying, “I voluntarily resigned. People who are annoyed and disturbed by the goodwill I am getting for resigning are spreading false news.”