CONG IN POLL GEAR

CONG IN POLL GEAR
Kamat, Ravi, Alemaos say we can win on our own
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, JAN 23
The Congress on Sunday kicked off its campaign for the coming Assembly polls, with Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat sending a clear-cut message to all and sundry, including the coalition partners, that the party has the capability and strength to win as many as 30 seats on its own.
“The party need not depend on crutches to win the polls. If the people and party workers are behind the party, we can win the polls on our own strength. We have the capacity to win 30 seats”, Kamat thundered at the BPS club here at the Margao block melava on Sunday amidst loud cheers from the huge congregation of his supporters.
Making an appeal to the workers not to fall prey to false propaganda on allegations of scams facing the Government, the Chief Minister called upon the party Ministers and MLAs to close ranks and unitedly face the allegations, asserting that the Congress will not only complete the current term, but will rule the State for the next five years.
Apparently satisfied with the turn out at the meeting, Kamat exuded confidence that the wind will travel right from Canacona to Pernem in favour of the party.
Taking a dig at the Opposition, Kamat said they cannot fool the people all the time, adding that people are no more interested in stories but are looking for development and jobs.
“Our development work speaks for the party. There are some people who cannot see this development. But, there’s no stopping the Government from working for the betterment of the people”, Kamat said, and added Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has sanctioned Rs five crore to set up a state-of-a-art centralized police control room and 50 PCR vans for the State.
In his hard hitting speech, Home Minister Ravi Naik sought to know whether people accused of assaulting drivers, policemen and who have no manners should have a place in the Ministry. “A minister is expected to protect the citizens. But, here is a person who has so many cases of assault against him. Is it proper to have such a man in the Cabinet? And, when these people are out, they make only baseless allegations”, Naik said, apparently referring to former Tourism Minister, Mickky Pacheco.
Sounding a word of caution, Naik said the party should be wary of some party men trying to destabilize other and warned that the people would show these leaders their true place. “The situation can be really dangerous when a pet dog adjusts with a stray, rabid, mad dog. We have to beware of this”, he said and exuded confidence that the party would win minimum 28 seats in the coming polls.
In his address, PWD Minister Churchill Alemao said that those who don’t respect women will have no place in the Kamat Ministry, adding that that the Congress would return back to power with minimum 35 seats in the coming polls.
Without taking names, Alemao came down heavily on party MLAs for their stand that the Congress would not win the polls with all these scams. “These people are waiting for vacancies to get into the Ministry. If these MLAs are uncertain about wining on the Congress tickets, its better they are denied the tickets”, he asserted.
Alemao appealed to the people to rally behind the party to provide a better Government.
Panchayat Minister Babu Azgaonkar said the wind in favour of the Congress would travel from South to North and asserted that the Kamat Government will not only complete the current term, but would continue in office in the next five years.
Lashing out at Leader of the Opposition, Manohar Parrikar for the unsuccessful bid to dislodge the Kamat Government within three months in office, Azgaonkar said that Parrikar tried his best to bring down the Government as he was wary of Kamat’s skills in running a successful Government.
In his address, Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao heaped praises on the Chief Minister for changing the face of the Commercial capital with a host of developmental project, adding that the Congress would win the Assembly polls with 35 seats.
GPCC president Subhash Shirodkar urged the party workers to gear up for the coming polls and outlined the various achievements of the party at the Centre and   the state.
Water Resources Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues, GPCC general secretaries Vishnu Wagh and Vijay Sardessai, MMC Chairperson Sushila Naik and Councilors were amongst others who attended the workers convention.