Team Herald
PANJIM: The old enemy of the Congress is back. Infighting. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president Babi Bagkar has accused President Luizinho Faleiro of fixing the tickets for 2017 elections.
“Since the last few months it has been observed that our party is on the path of a social club. Any Tom, Dick and Harry comes into the party bags the positions as secretary and leaves the party whenever he or she feels,” Bagkar said in a statement issued on Thursday.
He added, “As the vice-president of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee it hurts me that GPCC is not taken into confidence. RSS people are been recruited by our PCC President from Bicholim and Mandrem and given positions in the party as secretary.”
“Entire PCC is upset the way the President is functioning autocratically. Instead of attacking BJP on the forefront our PCC President, and certain individuals close to PCC President, have already started auctioning tickets. It looks like there is a clear match-fixing with the BJP and the Chief Minister,” he said. He added, “I will take up these matters immediately with AICC President Sonia Gandhi and AICC Vice President Rahul Gandhi on priority. I will not allow our party to become a social club.”
Meanwhile, taken aback at this strong outburst, by the GPCC Vice President, as his statement got circulated, the party issued a statement through its General Secretary and spokesperson, Yatish Naik, late on Thursday night. It stated, “The sudden and unfounded outburst of Bagkar is intended to ventilate his personal score against Dayanand Sopte who was the Congress candidate from Mandrem but was meted out humiliation and disrespect by the former PCC president (John Fernandes). He therefore left and has now rejoined the party. In Bicholim and Mandrem new faces have joined the party. Bagkar should first explain who he supported in the last Assembly elections and how he managed to secure government recruitments for his kith and kin. The Congress calls upon these self styled leaders to leave the party if they so desire.”
