TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The much-hyped political face-off between alliance partners Congress and Nationalist Congress Party is likely to end in a damp squib, with the possibility of the latter having to withdraw both its candidates and support the Congress.
Though a final announcement is expected today, it turns out that NCP is likely to withdraw the names of both its candidates – Nilkant Halarnkar and Yuri Alemao and extend support to Congress candidates.
Nevertheless, the alliance may face rough weather if Yuri is dropped since then both Yuri and Valanka would have been denied tickets.
Churchill Alemao has already threatened to quit over allocation of ticket to Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco instead of sitting MP Francisco Sardinha or his daughter Valanka.
Local NCP leaders from Goa including party president Nilkant Halarnkar on Thursday held meeting with party president Sharad Pawar over the alliance in New Delhi. The meeting was further deferred for Friday for final decision as Goa desk in-charge Prafulla Patel could not attend the meeting. The official announcement on alliance is likely to come on Friday.
A senior party official confirmed that Pawar has decided to renew party ties with Congress for the parliamentary polls by not fielding any candidates.
Congress has finalized Ravi Naik for North and Reginaldo for South seat. It is learnt that NCP would be given an additional seat in Karnataka in lieu of the North Goa seat. The Karnataka ticket is likely to go to the son-in-law of Prafulla Patel.
NCP sources say that attempts are made to neutralise Congress MLA Mauvin Godinho and this alliance could extend to the next assembly elections, as a long term plan. The NCP has a presence in Vasco in the form of party vice president and former MLA Jose Philip D’Souza.
“The decision was taken after considering all issues, especially split in votes. National leaders had also received feedback that NCP and Congress should go together for polls against BJP,” sources said. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, NCP-Congress alliance failed to gain power, with NCP loosing North Goa seat to BJP.
