PANJIM: In a major
embarrassment, Congress leader Surendra Furtado was shown the ‘door’ by party
workers for hobnobbing with former rebel, St Cruz MLA Atanasio (Babush)
Monserrate on Thursday, when he tried to attend the party meeting chaired by
All India Congress Committee General Secretary and Goa Desk in charge Digvijay
Singh.
Congress workers recommended
to the High Command that action be initiated against Furtado for his anti-party
activities in contesting the CCP polls against the Congress. Furtado is contesting from ward No. 10 on
Monserrate’s panel along with his wife Ruth who is a candidate in Ward No. 9.
Sources said that with Singh
refusing to allow Furtado to defend his decision, party workers, including MLA
and CCP election in charge Pandurang Madkaikar, asked Furtado to “get lost”
from the party head office.
The block committee members
from several North Goa constituencies were present for the meeting, when
Furtado tried to enter the room. Angry workers, fuming at Furtado’s presence, said
he was there to gain sympathy from the high command.
“Furtado came to met Singh
so that he can prove to Congress voters that the party has no differences with
him and he can take mileage and get Congress votes,” sources said. “Digvijayji
refused to entertain him and said he would not like to listen to his grievance
at this point,” sources said.
When contacted, Madkaikar
said, “He has split with Congress and there is no point in allowing him to
continue with the party.”
Furtado, a former Panjim mayor,
had contested the Panjim by-poll in February 2015 on the Congress ticket.
