Team Herald
PANJIM: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has threatened to field a candidate in Navelim, the constituency once held by State Congress President Luizinho Faleiro, if an alliance between the two parties does not materialise.
Speaking to the media, NCP Goa unit president Jose Philip D’Souza said that this party would field one George Barreto, a social activist from Navelim, in that constituency. “We have a very strong candidate in Navelim who can be fielded if an alliance doesn’t happen. Even if it happens we will negotiate for Navelim as we are confident of winning that seat,” D’Souza said.
He, however, said that central leaders have assured them that an alliance with Congress will happen and added that some local Congress leaders are opposing an alliance to allow BJP to return to power.
“If there is an alliance with Congress, we will ask for only seven seats, if not we will go with other parties and if that too does not happen we are ready to contest in 35 constituencies,” D’Souza said.
“We have made our South Goa base very strong. Some leaders have already joined the party and many more will join in the coming days,” D’Souza said.
NCP is holding a workers convention in Mapusa on November 3 which will be addressed by central leaders.
Praful Patel and Navab Malik.
