GPCC chief says Cong confident of winning N Goa
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@heraldgoa.com
PANJIM: Congress party executive committee meeting has decided to mount pressure to demand for both the Lok Sabha seats in North and South Goa without sparing one for its old ally Nationalist Congress Party.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President John Fernandes said he is scheduled to meet UPA Coordination Committee Chairman A K Antony on Monday to press for both parliamentary seats. “Traditionally, the party contested South Goa constituency, leaving the North Goa to NCP. We want the North Goa seat to be transferred to us because we can win it,” he asserted.
AICC General Secretary and Goa desk in-charge Digvijay Singh will also raise the issue in the meeting. During his visit last month, Singh had told reporters that the local Congress leaders were pressing for both seats while also conceding NCP’s humiliating defeat in the 2012 State general assembly elections.
“Local Congress leaders feel that we should fight both the seats and I am with them. We would fight both seats and this is the general mood in the Congress. But we have not discussed with the NCP yet,” he was quoted as saying.
The NCP has been staking its claim for North Goa seat. In a recent press conference, the NCP leaders had said it is ready to contest both parliamentary seats on its own if the alliance with the Congress does not materialize and had also shortlisted candidates.
The Congress executive committee, in its meeting, has unanimously congratulated AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s decision of not to allow family raj in politics. Soon after his elevation as Pradesh Committee Chief, Fernandes had strongly opposed family politics claiming he will not allow family raj in Goa Congress party.
