PANJIM: The Congress has come down heavily on St Cruz MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate for accusing the former of colluding with BJP in the ensuing Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) elections.
Party spokesperson Pandurang Madkaikar has instead accused Monserrate of joining hands with the BJP to defeat the Congress-backed panel.
“Babush is the ‘B’ team because he has fielded candidates to give an upper hand to BJP. The BJP has used the same modus operandi. Our fight is against both – Babush and BJP,” the Cumbarjua MLA said after announcing candidates for 20 of the 30 wards on Thursday.
The party reminded that Monserrate had supported the BJP in the 2012 general assembly election and asked him to stop making false allegations against the Congress.
Earlier, accompanied by Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai, Monserrate had charged the Congress of fielding candidates in support of BJP in a bid to wipe him out of the municipal polls. “It is a ‘B’ party of BJP,” Monserrate had alleged on the sidelines of the nomination filing.
Amongst the candidates fielded by Congress, Sandeep Vaigankar – who was recently acquitted in an attack case, will contest from ward number 7. Vaigankar and five others, including Zenito Cardozo, had been booked for attacking activist Aires Rodrigues in 2008 but were acquitted.
Avinash Bhonsle, who was recently given a ticket by Monserrate but then replaced by a woman candidate, has been picked by Congress to contest from ward number 22.
On Thursday 26 candidates filed their nominations, a majority of them being backed by Monserrate.
