PANJIM: Congress on Wednesday toughened its stand against rebels, even as it ruled out the possibility of an alliance with other parties for the 2017 elections.
Addressing media persons, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Goa desk in charge Digvijay said the party’s selection of candidate process is on and that the Pradesh Election Committee will hold one more sitting to discuss on Assembly seats where there is no clarity of candidates. The AICC leader clarified that the party will not form any alliance, neither with its former ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) nor Goa Forward, but will contest all 40 seats.
“We are preparing our candidates in all 40 seats. There is no question of any alliance. If anyone wants to align with us, he will have to contest on Congress symbol,” he said. “No question of alliance with NCP. Also there is no discussion with anyone (Goa Forward),” he added responding to a question.
Singh also said that the high command will not succumb to any “pressure” or “blackmail tactics” while deciding candidates for the 2017 elections.
Stating that “only loyalist” Congress leaders will be given tickets for the polls, Singh categorically stated that if rebel MLA Pandurang Madkaikar wants to leave the party, he can.
Unhappy with the growing rebellion within the party, the AICC leader said
that party tickets would be given only to Congress loyalists. “We are not going to succumb to any pressure. Whether we lose or win, we will make sure that only Congress loyalists are candidates,” he stated. “We are not going to get blackmailed by anyone. Party leadership will not fall for any blackmail tactics,” Singh stated when asked about MLA Madkaikar’s move towards joining BJP.
“If Madkaikar wants to go, he can, we will look for another candidate there (Cumbharjua), in the recent past he has been making statements against party leadership. One needs to presume whether these are blackmail tactics or what,” he added.
“We will try to bring in more and more new faces during the coming election,” Singh said.
The State Pradesh election committee has received 113 names of probable candidates, which consists of 60-70 percent new faces. In the first phase the party will declare names of those candidates where there is consensus by mid-December.
