TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Even as the date of filing of nominations is inching closer, the Congress is yet to take a call on the seat-sharing with the NCP as well as finalising its candidates for the March 3 Assembly election.
According to sources, the Congress-NCP seat-sharing meeting, which was re-scheduled to be held in Delhi on Wednesday, was postponed for second time in succession as senior leaders from both parties failed to call on the meeting.
As also, the Congress Screening Committee meeting, which was scheduled for January 19 in New Delhi, has now been postponed to January 28.
Sources informed Herald that the alliance meeting which was scheduled for January 17 had been postponed to January 18, and now is yet again postponed to January 19.
“Chairman of the Congress Screening Committee Oscar Fernandes, in-charge of Goa Congress desk Jagmit Singh Brar and in-charge of Goa NCP desk Praful Patel were not available on Wednesday and hence the meeting had to be postponed yet again,” sources informed.
NCP observer Bharti Chavan informed that the meeting would either be held on January 19 or 23.
NCP’s Goa State President Surendra Sirsat has said that they are still hopeful of getting more seats from the Congress. “We are expecting atleast 8 seats,” he added.
The NCP has been demanding 12 seats while Congress is willing to part with only six seats.
Meanwhile, the NCP has now staked its claim for Cortalim seat and wants to field Ramakant Borkar as their candidate.
Sources further informed that NCP legislator Jose Philip D’Souza had a marathon meeting with Bharti Chavan over the issue on Tuesday.
NCP has staked its claim for Tivim, Vasco, Porvorim, Mandrem, Saligao, Sanguem, Cortalim and Benaulim.
