GPCC President Luizinho Faleiro has called the party MLAs for the meeting, besides former ministers and MLAs, to offer their views on the ticklish question of contesting the coming election.
Sources in Congress circles said that the PCC chief has come across opinions from a cross section of the party leaders for and against contesting the ZP polls. The decision to convene the party’s executive committee on Monday to deliberate and decide on the issue comes against the backdrop of the announcement made by party General Secretary Joe Dias at Margao on Friday that the party will contest the ZP polls on the party banner.
It is learnt that a group within the party is of the opinion that the Congress should not contest the election on the party banner as a mark of protest against the BJP’s decision to hold the election via an ordinance without taking the stakeholders into confidence. Secondly, it is felt in party circles that the Congress is not on a strong footing in many constituencies and may come a cropper against the well organised BJP as in the Lok Sabha polls. This group feels that the party workers should contest as Independents and take on the might of the BJP through the party apparatus.
However, sources said, there’s another equally vociferous group within the party which is openly supporting the proposal to participate in the ZP election. It is learnt that a couple of MLAs have also come out openly in support of the proposal to contest on the party banner.
When Herald contacted the Faleiro, on Sunday, he said that the party leaders, including members of the executive committee, MLAs and former MLAs, will take a call on the issue. “Since there are divergent opinion on the issue, the party leaders and MLAs will deliberate and take a call on Monday”, Faleiro said.
