VASCO: Nationalistic Congress Party (NCP), Goa unit, President Jose Philip D’Souza has expressed confidence that the much awaited Congress-NCP alliance would surely materialise before January 10, but if the Congress fails to take a decision on alliance, then, the NCP would contest from 30 constituencies.
He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of NCP workers’ meeting held at tourist hall in Vasco on Friday.
“I am sure that alliance with Congress will happen. We are waiting for the Congress to make an announcement about alliance on or before January 10, 2017. However, if the Congress doesn’t want alliance with us, then, we are prepared to field our candidates in 30 assembly constituencies.”
“The NCP high command is in talks with Congress in Delhi on the pre-poll alliance. However, if there is no alliance, then, the NCP should not be blamed if we field candidates across the State. Our candidates are ready in all the 30 constituencies and they are just waiting for the green signal,” he added.
When asked as to how many seats the NCP has demanded from Congress, if the alliance materialises, D’ Souza said, “We had already communicated to the Congress that we would like to contest from seven sure shot seats and we have already announced candidates for five of them.”
However, he said, the State unit has sent “names of 10 aspirants for ten constituencies to our party high command and the final decision on fielding candidates would be taken only after consulting the High command.”
To a query whether the NCP would win the Vasco seat if the party fails to form an alliance with the Congress, D’Souza claimed that, “the NCP has a strong voter base in Vasco and thus this seat was given to us by the Congress in 2012 assembly polls.”
When asked whether the Congress aspirants for the Vasco ticket would spoil his chances as even they have started campaigning in the town, he said, “the Congress candidate is no threat to us. The NCP will surely win Vasco along with other seats in Goa.”
