CM keeps High Command abreast of Navelim political development

MARGAO, JULY 1
With a fuming PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao threatening to constitute parallel block committees across Goa, the State Congress leadership has kept the Congress High Command abreast of the political development brewing in the Navelim Block Congress Committee.
The Alemao brothers – PWD Minister Churchill Alemao and Joaquim Alemao – on Thursday called on the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and GPCC President Subhash Shirodkar to demand scrapping of the Conceicao Piexote-led Navelim Block Congress Committee.
The duo maintained that elections to the Navelim Block Committee were not carried out as per the norms set by the Congress party organisation and hence demanded that the committee-headed by Piexote is scrapped immediately.
Sources in the know said the Chief Minister and the GPCC President gave a patient hearing to the Alemao brothers and assured to take up the matter with the Congress organisation handling the party polls.
It is learnt that the duo were assured that any illegality in conducting the elections would be set right at the level of the High Command.
When contacted, Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat said the issue was discussed at a meeting Churchill, Joaquim and Shirodkar had with him at his residence on Thursday morning. “Churchill has contended that the election for the Navelim Block Congress Committee has not been conducted as per the set election norm. We have told him that the matter would be taken up with the High Command”, he said.
Kamat said that the election program is being handled by the Congress leader Oscar Fernandes and the matter will be resolved at the High Command level.
When contacted, the GPCC President Subhash Shirodkar said the entire issue is presently with the High Command and once again declined to offer any comments. “I have no direct role in the election process. There is an independent body conducting the polls”, he said, adding that the High Command is aware of the development.
Meanwhile, Conceicao Piexote has said that he has been duly elected as the president of the block through elections conducted by the Party organisation.
Reacting to the demand made by PWD Minister and Navelim MLA Churchill Alemao to the party to remove him from the post, Piexote said the elections to the Navelim block were conducted as per the Congress party organisational polls. “The election process was conducted by the party Returning officer by following the rules and regulations. How can I be removed now from the post”, he wondered.
Replying to a question, Piexote said Churchill’s close aide Lionel Raicar also participated in the party’s election process and got a booth president and a delegate elected and added that he had made around 5000 new members in the run up to the polls for the block.