Team Herald

MARGAO: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday, castigated Congress MP Francisco Sardinha and accused him of intimidating Rodolfina Vaz, their candidate for the Zilla Panchayat (ZP) elections from Guirdolim and seeking to pressurise her to withdraw from the polls.

AAP Goa convener Elvis Gomes in a press statement recalled that it was Sardinha who was responsible for enabling the BJP to form a government for the first time in Goa when he defected from Congress only due to the greed of becoming the then Chief Minister.

He pointed out that Sardinha was conspicuous by his absence during people’s movement over Mhadei River, coal pollution, river nationalisation or Coastal Zone Management Plan, but that he is now suddenly visible and vocal at the time of elections.

“Instead of fighting for Goa’s interest inside and outside the Parliament, Francisco Sardinha only sees AAP as the B team of BJP,” Elvis added.

Pointing to the two young ZP poll candidates Aishwarya Fernandes and Hanzel Fernandes who were sitting by his side, Elvis said the two were not even born when Sardinha broke Congress’s back in Goa with his earlier defection.

He also demanded an explanation on how Congress allowed a BJP candidate to get elected in Sancoale.

Hitting out at Sardinha, Rodolfina said that he had intimidated her over the telephone. She alleged that he said that ‘as an MP, he should not feel threatened by people like her who are aiming at challenging the traditional politics’. She further claimed that Sardinha had questioned her very rudely and arrogantly as to why she joined AAP.

Hanzel said his supporters are getting intimidating calls asking them to withdraw support to him while Aishwarya lamented that established politicians want politics to be family business and not allow new faces.

When asked why they had not fielded candidates in Davorlim and Velim, he said they are supporting Independents -Abdul Qadir and Tamaturgo Rodrigues.