TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Just a day before the 16th Lok Sabha elections in Goa, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday took a risk in declaring that the upcoming Parliamentary elections would be a turning point State politics and predicted the decimation of the Congress party, ending the long era of political dominance.
Addressing media persons Thursday afternoon, Parrikar claimed that by the end of the Lok Sabha elections in Goa, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee that had currently launched mission clean up among its rebelling block units would itself get dismantled considering the fact that the Committee is being headed by a complete incompetent leader.
“This election would be a turning point as far as Goan politics is concerned. There is total collapse of Congress campaign. Congress is going to get decimated at this election,” Parrikar said adding Congress dominance from 1980 to 2012 is on a decline and it would be proved on May 16 (counting day).
Chief Minister said that end of Congress’ political era in Goa was very much visible during the March 2012 assembly elections, when it failed to retain power in its stronghold Salcete. “This election too Congress will completely disappear from Salcete. Even in some constituencies in other parts of South and over 50 percent constituencies in North Goa, there is no Congress wave. You will not even find Congress booth on election day,” he stated.
Oblivious of the infighting within his own party, Parrikar pointed to bickering within Congress party, saying the party is on the verge of collapse under the leadership of incompetent and politically retired leader. “The party on the eve of elections suspended four Youth Congress workers for anti party activities and dissolved Dabolim and Cuncolim constituency blocks replacing them with appointees, who are already campaigning for BJP,” the chief minister mocked.
Trying to set aside all speculation that the elections would be a battle between secular and communal forces, Parrikar said that the issue will not have any impact on BJP’s political prospect during the coming polls. “Communalism is a final weapon used by opposition for its own survival,” he commented.
“This election would be a turning point as far as Goan politics is concerned. There is total collapse of Congress campaign. Congress is going to get decimated at this election,” Parrikar said adding Congress dominance from 1980 to 2012 is on a decline and it would be proved on
May 16 (counting day). He said that end of Congress’ political era in Goa was very
much visible during the March 2012
assembly elections
