29 Mar 2024  |   06:18am IST

Forget people, even Goa Cong men are at sea about when candidates will be announced

“Ho Jayega, Ho Jayega,” says AICC in-charge Manikrao Thakare, “but when?” ask everyone; with little over a month to go, there’s no sign that party is in the race

Team Herald

PANJIM: AICC Goa Desk in-charge Manikrao Thakare, put up a brave front and exclaimed, “Ho Jayega, Ho Jayega,” when asked if he could give a genuine date when Congress candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats will be announced.

But neither he nor other Congress leaders are in a position to say positively whether a decision has been arrived at or when the candidates will be announced.

Forget about the people of Goa and social activists but there is no clarity when Congress will release the names of its candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in the State.

For the last three days Congress leaders have been making statements that the names would be declared at any time but there is no mention of Goa candidates in the eight lists released by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) since the poll schedule was announced.

Thakare said, “The Central Election Committee (CEC) has discussed the proposed names. Once the names are cleared by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) President (Mallikarjun Kharge), the list will be announced.

Surprisingly Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao indicated to O Heraldo on March 27 that the names would be announced on March 28.

Both Alemao and GPCC President Amit Patkar returned from Delhi on March 28, empty-handed. At the airport, Patkar said, “Congress is going to give the right candidates to people of Goa, and who will be their voices in Parliament.”

 Former Union Minister Ramakant Khalap was totally unaware. “People are anxiously asking me when the names would be declared by Congress party,” he said.

When asked whether the candidates should have been announced by now, GPCC spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar said, ''Yes. It should have been announced.''

AAP State Convenor and INDIA Bloc member Adv Amit Palekar too expressed his shock over the delay by Congress in announcing the candidates. “We are a little appalled by the Congress in not declaring its candidates. We had given some suggestions to Congress party and if they overlook it then we will also think how to go about in the elections,” he said.