Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar on Monday said that 75 to 80 per cent of the party candidates for the ensuing Assembly elections will be young and new faces in the ensuing elections.
Speaking to media persons, Chodankar said, “We have now taken utmost precautions to see that no party MLA will defect after he/she is elected.”
Asked whether all five sitting MLAs will be re-nominated, Chodankar shot back saying, “Why not?”
Chodankar said that the party has shut its doors to defectors and will not even start pre-poll alliance talks with NCP, if the latter admits defectors and fields them as party candidates. “I have already conveyed my views to the high command,” he said.
He also claimed that the party is ready for the Assembly elections any time and claimed that it will win 23 to 26 seats and provide a people-friendly and stable government.
“After the visit of our AICC in-charge Dinesh Rao last month, we have visited many constituencies and also conducted block Congress committee meetings. Our districts committees and frontals also started moving in Assembly constituencies. We are ready in almost all constituencies.”
Chodankar claimed that the party has fought on every issue by becoming the voice of the common man. Right now the party is protesting the hike in prices of fuel, LPG cooking gas and also preparing for the upcoming elections.
According to Chodankar, recent surveys by some media agencies and BJP themselves have predicted the defeat of the BJP in the forthcoming Assembly elections. The failed BJP has now activated its “dramebaaz”, who have launched theatrics and “dramabazi” to divert the attention of the people from the core issues of health, economy and unemployment, Chodankar said.
The survey report is a clear indication that Congress is coming back to power in Goa, he claimed.
To another question on whether he will contest the Assembly elections, Chodankar said that right now his focus is to rebuild the organisation.
Chodankar charged that the Pramod Sawant government has failed on all fronts. “This government killed innocent COVID-19 patients by not giving them oxygen. They have no money to pay to the beneficiaries of Dayanand Social Security scheme, widows, persons with disabilities,” he said.
Chodankar pointed out that the government had announced Ambedkar Awaas scheme and the applicants and deposited monies. However, till date there is no sign of this scheme.
