TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: The elections may have been announced almost 10 days ago but the Congress seems to be in no hurry in announcing the candidates for the March 3 State Assembly polls.
Sources in the party said that the names have just been forwarded to the Screening committee headed by Oscar Fernandes, which is yet to meet.
“Goa elections are on March 3, last after Punjab, UP, Manipur and Uttarakhand and hence the Screening committee’s for those States will meet first,” sources said adding “the Oscar Fernandes-led committee is expected to meet not before January 15.
Asked by when the first list of candidates would be out, sources said, “not before February 3, two or three days before the date of filing nominations.”
Sources say this is become a tradition in Congress to declare names at the last moment.
They said the party has also kept under wraps the deal with the NCP on the pre-poll alliance.
“More or less the deal with NCP is finalised but they will announce only in first week of February, fearing backlash from the party cadres on the seat sharing,” sources stated.
Meanwhile, there is a brewing resentment within the Congress over the shortlisting of four names from the Alemao family.
Sources said several MLAs and partymen met the AICC General Secretary Goa desk in-charge Jagmit Singh Brar and expressed their sentiment, who has assured that no injustice would be done to anybody.
