TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: While one Muslim forum announced it would contest in all constituencies, another one– Goa Muslim Forum (GMF), a collective of the minority community, has threatened to pull out of Congress, if they are denied a ticket in the Mormugao constituency.
More so, the GMF has decided to field independent candidates and support other parties, if they are let down by the Congress.
Addressing a press conference, hours after Congress announced the first list of 22 candidates for the March 3 election, GMF Coordinator Sheikh Hassan Mansoor reminded Congress of the promise to give the Mormugao seat to Saifullah Khan.
The forum had demanded at least four seats from the Congress to contest the forthcoming elections but it was reduced to only one, that of Mormugao constituency.
“The Congress denied giving all four tickets to us but they had assured us the Mormugao constituency. If GMF is denied the lone ticket, we will field independent candidates in seven constituencies and tie up with other parties where Muslim population is less,” Mansoor asserted.
For now, the forum has not disclosed the names of the seven constituencies where it boasted of being approached by other political parties for support at the election.
While expressing resentment of Muslim community towards Congress party in
“It is high time that Congress realize our importance as we are rallying with the party even before the Independence of India. Muslims have remained faithful to Congress. The party is taking us for granted but we will be fooled no more …” he said.
Reiterating their demand, the forum said Saifullah, Chairman of Mormugao Municipal Council, Chairman of All Goa Congress Committee Minority Department and a Mormugao councilor, is a popular figure among the Muslim masses.
“Saifullah has done a lot for the people irrespective of caste, creed for more than 18 years,” Feroz said while he also questioned Congress whether they would ‘take a chance to lose Muslim votes.’
The three-month-old forum explained that they have no complaints with the party high command observers, they are unsure of the Congress party in Goa as the latter is dilly-dallying on confirming the lone ticket.
“Out of four lakh votes, more than one lakh are Muslim votes for Congress,” Mansoor claimed.
The forum, which claims support from 155 NGOs, is however hopeful that the party will not let them down.
“If we have one representative in the assembly, our long pending demands will be fulfilled which is now being ignored by everybody,” Sheikh Abdul Kader opined.
