Team Herald
PANJIM: With no strong second line of leaders in the party in Goa, Congress is facing a leadership crisis while at the same time attempting to bridge the trust deficit in the existing leadership, including the MLAs.
After the party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha elections and the loss in three of the four by-polls to the State Assembly, the undercurrents within the party have left the cadre baffled as the party leadership is cornered by a section within and speculation of a merger of at least nine of the MLAs of Congress Legislative Party (CLP) into the BJP, still continuing.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar tendered his resignation along with several other leaders across the country after the Indian National Congress president Rahul Gandhi refused to withdraw his resignation. This resignation has thrown open the field in the party for a new leader.
A section among the party leaders has begun to corner Chodankar on his decisions regarding the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections as well as Assembly by-polls. He is being accused of allotting tickets to a certain section of the community.
A former minister from North Goa has been vocal in pointing out that the party lost the North Goa seat as Chodankar himself contested the elections, expecting the Bhandari Samaj to vote for him against Shripad Naik.
Echoing similar sentiments, a young GPCC general secretary questioned the wisdom of fielding three Bhandhari Samaj candidates in the by-polls. “Everywhere you see he has a particular section of the society being promoted when the section has never been with the party. Right from the party office to the campaigns, it was these leaders who were along with him,” he stated.
However, to put the party’s affairs back on track, those opposing Chodankar suggest that a senior leader be handed over the responsibility. The front runners in the race for the post of the GPCC president, in the eventuality of Chodankar’s resignation being accepted by the new Congress president, include South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco.
The faction in the party that has been standing by Chodankar has accused the senior leaders of promoting dynasties instead of building the party’s second line of leadership. “These senior leaders all have so far promoted their kith and kin. They have been selfish and have not bothered about the party and their true colours are out in the times of crisis,” said a GPCC spokesperson who feels that Chodankar has taken the ruling dispensation head-on and the party has improved under his leadership.
When the question was posed to Chodankar about the next line of leaders in the Congress and who will take over after him, he declined to comment stating that the prerogative to choose the leader lies with the party cadre and the national president shall take the call once the momentum is set to elect the next GPCC president.
Asked if the party’s senior leaders failed to groom the younger generation to take on the reins, he said, “It is both ways. The senior leaders in the State have insecurity that the younger generation may take over and they will be sidelined. On the other hand, youth should come forward and start working for the party. If a person enters the party and parachutes into the PCC then it is not good.”
Speaking about his own rise within the party Chodankar said, “After I resigned from the Youth Congress I was completely sidelined in Goa. If I was not taken up to the national level by the AICC then I would have been in some dark corner. So the insecurities are there at the same time if one is committed then one will rise from the booth to the leadership.”
