PANJIM: Reiterating yet again that it will fight the 2017 Assembly elections alone, Congress on Thursday resolved to distance itself from ‘tainted’ and ‘senior citizen’ leaders and keep them away from the upcoming polls.
The party executive committee headed by State president Luizinho Faleiro unanimously decided not to have any alliance with the Third Front proposed by Independent MLAs Vijai Sardesai, Rohan Khaunte and Naresh Sawal.
Highly-placed sources confirmed that Faleiro recommended that for the upcoming Assembly elections, the party should have more than 50 percent young and new faces as candidates. “The executive committee was of the firm view that tainted and senior citizens, should not be entertained anymore,” sources said.
The party was basically targeting former Home Minister Ravi Naik for his alleged involvement in the politician-police-drug mafia nexus. Naik was present for the executive committee meeting.
The party’s former chief minister and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat is currently facing bribery charges in the Louis Berger case, while Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane and his son Vishwajit are also being investigated in an illegal mining case by the Special Investigating Team (SIT). MLA Chandrakant (Babu) Kavalekar has been booked in the IDC and SEZ plot scam.
Sources, however, said that the party may not distance itself from Kamat, Ranes and Kavlekar.
During the hour-long meeting, the executive committee members criticised Kamat for his silence on various allegations levelled by his close aide and municipal poll ally Vijai Sardesai on the Congress.
“Party has decided to teach a lesson to third front and BJP in the coming polls,” sources said. The Congress is working towards further strengthening its block committees.
