Team Herald
PANJIM: The Congress on Monday did not rule out the possibility of a ‘Grand Alliance’ with the opposition for the 2017 State Assembly elections but a final decision will be taken by the party High Command – All India Congress Committee (AICC).
The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), however, challenged its MLAs, the opposition legislators, to first have an ‘alliance’ during the forthcoming session of the Legislative Assembly to corner the BJP-led government.
“We have never ruled out the possibility of a grand alliance but the decision on it will be taken at the right time and by the high command in consultation with party workers right from the grassroots. But before that let them show their grand alliance to counter the government in the Assembly. Something that is missing,” GPCC President Luizinho Faleiro told Herald.
“After the so-called alliance during the Budget session, our MLA (Vishwajit Rane) threatened to leave Congress if we give a ticket to Sardesai (Vijai) and now he is saying that he will move out if a grad alliance does not happen. What is to be trusted?” Faleiro asked.
Faleiro’s statement came after Rane threatened to quit the party if it fails to forge an alliance with like-minded forces. Rane, indirectly hinting at Faleiro, had said, “In Goa the Congress party, whoever may be the leader, no single leader can decide what the party wants. I will only be in Congress party if Congress stitches up an alliance with likeminded forces.”
Hours before Faleiro’s comments, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik had told the media that the decision on alliance cannot be taken by the GPCC president alone but had to be taken by the entire State unit.
However, the statement has not gone down well with Faleiro loyalists – spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar and Vice-President Moti Dessai. “Shantaram must not be taken seriously. He is unwell, believe me and should not be taken seriously,” Dessai said and added that it was up to Naik to decide whether he should resign from his Rajya Sabha seat.
