TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Under tremendous pressure to bounce back after the recent embarrassing series of electoral results, the Congress Party has decided to shut the doors on all tainted party leaders, including those indicted or involved in offences related to corruption and crime. Crafting a strategy with 2017 Assembly election in mind, the party says that it has decided not to give nominations to tainted leaders.
Addressing media persons on Thursday, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Sunil Kawthankar said that the Congress High Command had given clear directions to the State unit not to entertain any person or leader who is tainted, has serious criminal and corruption charges against him, for any kind of promotion within the party organization and for party ticket in the future.
“The Pradesh Congress Committee will follow these directions very seriously. No tainted leaders, whoever he may be or whatever position he may hold, will be entertained for any promotion,” Kawathankar said.
When it was pointed out that almost every single senior Congressman, including MLAs, are involved in corruption cases, Kawthankar said, “Whoever is involved, will be punished.”
In a house of 40 MLAs, the Congress has nine MLAs of which at least seven have been named in various scams. Its senior legislators — Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane and former chief minister Digambar Kamat have been named in the multi-crore mining scam, the investigation into which is pending before the Special Investigating Team (SIT). In addition to this, an extortion case against Rane and his son Vishwajit, has also been registered with SIT.
A case alleging illegal recruitment in the agriculture and health department is pending before the Lokayukta against Vishwajit as the then Minister for Agriculture and Health. Also Quepem MLA Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavalekar has been booked for corruption by the anti-corruption Branch (ACB), during his tenure as chairman of Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC).
Cumbharjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar is being investigated by the ACB over ‘purchase’ of about 9,000 sq mtrs of land at Old Goa. St Cruz MLA Atanasio Babush Monserrate has a case of attack on Panjim police station among others.
Monserrate is already facing action for his anti-party activities, and Mauvin Godinho may meet the same fate as the party finally appears to crack down on dissidence.
