MARGAO: In a move which may trigger another round of internecine battle within the party, Congress MLAs and heavyweights may soon lose their stranglehold over the party organisation, including the block committees if Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Chief John Fernandes has his way.
In an apparent bid to reduce the control of the MLAs and heavyweights over the party organisation, the GPCC chief has asked party general secretaries and other leaders to fan out to the grassroots to find out new and young blood and induct them at the block level. The party MLAs or heavyweights who enjoy considerable influence at the blocks in their respective constituencies may get only 20-25 representation to their supporters and henchmen on the block committees.
That’s not all. The party general secretaries have been asked to find out Congress workers who were forced to leave the party by the bigwigs and ensure their return to the party fold if they desire. However, John has made it abundantly clear that those party leaders and their supporters, who had left the party on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections, will not be given an entry as per the resolution adopted by the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee.
The latest guidelines from the GPCC to the party general secretaries comes against the backdrop of bitter past experience faced by the party leadership when entire blocks, including the frontal organisations had deserted the party with the MLAs or party aspiring candidates.
Confirming the development, the GPCC chief said that time has come to free the party from the shackles of the elected representatives. “It is a fact that block committees are normally stuffed by the blue-eyed boys and supporters of the MLAs. When these leaders decide to leave the party, we have found there’s an exodus of workers. This has to stop if the party has to move forward. One way to put a stop to all this was to ensure that party flag is kept flying high irrespective whether the leaders remain in the party or not”, he said.
A party general secretary cited the case of Fatorda block on the eve of the 2012 Assembly polls when Vijai Sardesai was denied the Congress ticket. “When Vijai decided to move out, not just the block committee, but representatives of the frontal organisations also deserted the
party”, remarked the general secretary.
