Team Herald
PANJIM: In the first post-poll review meeting the Goa Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) members openly and clearly told the Central leadership that the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) played a roll which was detrimental to the TMC’s election plan and grassroots mobilisation.
According to a source, who attended the meeting which included candidates and office-bearers, many speakers especially from South Goa district said that the election campaign was I-PAC controlled and not managed by the TMC, which was one of the biggest mistakes.
They also said that the agency instead of advising and helping took overall decision making policies and selection of candidates. While none of them wanted to go on record with Herald, it is clearly learnt that the consensus was that the Goa TMC would go ahead and plan its future only if I-PAC was not involved.
Ashok Tanwar said that in most of the States, I-PAC had assisted the parties which already had its organisation in place unlike in Goa, where the agency helped the party to build the organisation. He assured them hereon on the TMC will manage its own affairs in the State.
In addition to this a resolution was also taken to start preparations across 40 constituencies. Meanwhile, in nine constituencies where party got a promising number of votes the candidates were asked to straightaway work for the 2027 Assembly elections.
The constituencies are Tivim, Aldona, Velim, Cortalim, Cumbarjua, Porvorim, St Andre, Mapusa and Calangute.
Following drubbing in the recently held Assembly elections, the TMC on Saturday decided to strengthen the party organisation and to prepare for the next polls given the fact that the party polled 8.2 per cent vote share.
A three-member election review committee headed by Ashok Tanwar and party’s Goa co-incharges MP Sushmita Dev and Sourav Chakraborty held deliberations with the candidates.
Barring three, all other candidates, core team members, individual members, Leader in Rajya Sabha, MP Derek O’Brien and MP Luizinho Faleiro were present.
Narrating the reasons for their defeat some of the candidates alleged manipulations in the EVMs, while, others said that the negative propaganda that the TMC was anti-Hindu also affected their prospects.
TMC State president Kiran Kandolkar said that the party has decided to strenghthen its organisation by constituting block, mahila and youth committees in all 40 constituencies and to snap its ties with the MGP as it had already extended its support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Candidates Benjamin Silva, Mahadev Dessai, Anthony Menezes, Samil Volvoikar, Raju Cabral and Rakhi Prabhudesai e Naik told Herald the TMC will be strengthened and it will prepare to face all the further electoral challenges on its own strength. The party will support its workers and supporters contesting the ensuing panchayat elections.
