Chella Kumar denies dissidence, says all is well in party’s Goa unit
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Even as it said that the party would contest both Lok Sabha seats on its own, the Congress Party chose to gloss over dissidence in the party that has been brewing since it got a sound drubbing in last year’s Assembly elections, claiming that all was well in the family.
High command emissary, AICC secretary in charge of Goa desk A Chella Kumar Wednesday denied any dissidence in the party saying that this was a creation of the media.
It may be recalled that certain opposition MLAs were quoted talking to the media on the ineffectiveness of the Congress top leadership in the State.
“You (media) have created the news about the discontent in the party. All are happy and united,” he said.
Also saying that local leaders were of the opinion that the party should contest both the seats of Lok Sabha during ensuing polls, he ruled out any impending change of leader of opposition saying that there was no such demand from any legislator or party leader.
“Nobody has asked me to replace him, so the question does not arise…,” he said as he summed up his visit to Goa after having series of meetings with the legislators, leaders and office bearers.
According to sources, the party high command in Delhi had sent the AICC Secretary here on Tuesday to resolve differences within the party after the legislators, apparently upset with Rane, boycotted the CLP meeting on Monday. Chella Kumar, however, sought to downplay the revolt.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) chief Subhash Shirodkar has also claimed there was no internal rift among the legislators.
“There is no difference of opinion. Nothing has come to me on the change in CLP leadership,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chella Kumar attended the proceedings of assembly session to watch the performance of his MLAs on the floor of the House and lauded their aggression.
“They (legislators) are aggressive but the government does not allow them to speak in the assembly. It is a collective work and our MLAs are collectively fighting against the government,” he said while responding to a question.
Meanwhile, leader of Opposition Pratapsing Rane, told Herald that he was not willing to comment on the report of alleged dissidence brewing within the party, calling the goings on as “the internal matters of the party.”
The longest serving chief minister of the Congress, Rane however said that if anything the people would judge his work even as he stressed that he had his “own way of working.”
Meanwhile, Congress leaders said that they would contest the forthcoming 2014 Lok Sabha elections on both the constituencies without its alliance partner NCP.
“The local leaders are of the opinion that the party should contest both the seats of Lok Sabha during ensuing polls. It is however a decision of the committee (headed by A K Anthony),” AICC Secretary A Chella Kumar told reporters on Wednesday evening.
The Congress, during the last two elections had contested the elections with NCP wherein NCP lost the North Goa seat twice in a row, while Congress retained the South Goa seat.
Chella Kumar he ruled out replacing Pratapsing Rane as the leader of opposition in the legislative assembly, saying that there was no such demand from any legislator or party leader
