From 17 MLAs in the Assembly it has been reduced to five, but instead of weeping over the loss of MLAs, the central leadership has taken it in its stride. Sources have confirmed that outgoing Congress president Rahul Gandhi was told that a group of Congress MLAs from Goa would be quitting, he was of the opinion that this would be good for the party, as it would be cleansed of such people. It’s good for the party to have a positive attitude, but will the party be able to turn this around and actually build itself again so that it can face the people, presenting before the electorate credible alternative to the current dispensation?
It may be easy to say that this cleanses the party, but Congress has a history of welcoming back those who have left it. There are examples of such MLAs from among the 10 who have left the party, including Atanasio Monserrate and Isidore Fernandes who have been strolled through the revolving doors of the Congress more than once. Monserrate, for instance, had joined the party just three months ago and bagged the Congress ticket for the Panjim by-election which he won. He is now with the BJP, a party he has been a member of in the past. So too with Fernandes who has been a BJP member in the past, around the same time as Monserrate. Given this background to expect the Congress to firmly shut the door on those Congressmen who have deserted it in the past may be seeking a lot more than the party can deliver.
Besides, three days after being reduced to just five MLAs and the quitting of its leader in the House, the five of them are yet to meet and elect a new leader. This prompted the youngest of the MLAs in the Congress – Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco – to grumble about the delay. But he made a valid point in asking that since the State Congress chief has resigned, who would it be who would call the meeting and approve the election of the CLP leader. When the current party situation is viewed in this manner, then the problems it has at the moment are almost gigantic and whoever takes charge of the organisation has a mountain of a task ahead.
It will never be easy for the Congress to re-invent itself in Goa, but that is precisely what it will have to do to remain relevant in the State. The buzz across the land is that the Congress MLAs cannot be trusted to remain with the party and can be easily wooed by the other side. The disconnect between the party and electorate is something that the new president and the new legislative party leader will have to work on. This calls for a lot of coordination between the party organisation and the legislative wing that was not visible in the past two years.
Today Congress has three MLAs in Salcete, one in Ponda and one in Sattari. The latter two talukas are not where the party influence is at the highest. It had four out of five MLAs in Tiswadi, but now has not a single one in this taluka. It also has not a single one in Bardez, Pernem, Quepem, Bicholim, Sanguem, Mormugao and Canacona talukas. The party has indeed been cleansed, but how will it begin to rebuild itself in all these talukas when those who were its leaders in them have turned their back on the party. It won’t be easy, it won’t be speedy. But Congress just can’t remain susegado any longer.
