l Cong is full of free-floating satellite groups of members l Have jaded leaders who don’t want to take on Parrikar l Have scared leaders who can’t take on Parrikar
GLENN COSTA
glenncosta@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The State Congress as a political unit has been a disaster in the recent past. Racked by dissidence and accusations of family raj, it was decimated by the BJP in the 2012 elections. The party also lost miserably in the Lok Sabha elections with the groups and fissures being clearly seen. The Congress infrastructure being non-existent and brutally exposed and it suffered a humiliating defeat.
Even today, the Congress is a divided house with President commanding the loyalty of a handful and among all broken up into various factions.
One group is lead by the president himself with his spokespersons like Durgadas Kamat and Pratima Coutinho valiantly trying to act as an opposition by holding press conferences. But they are not elected representatives and have no mass base. Also as they do not have the backing of the elected representatives, finance and manpower will always be a problem. However, as of now they have the backing
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of the high command, read Digvijay Singh, the Congress General Secretary.
Another faction is made up of the Ranes – Senior (Pratapsing) with his 17 years as chief minister and Junior (Vishwajit) with his young man in a hurry attitude are opposed to John and his ‘confrontationist attitude,’ preferring the status quo and lying low method. However, Sr Rane is the Leader of Opposition.
Digambar Kamat and Chandrakant Babu Kawlekar are both quite not sure when the long arm of Parrikar’s law enforcement agencies will descend and prefer to keep the chief minister in good cheer.
Atanasio Babush Monserrate, the Taleigao strongman is a businessman first with his fingers in money lending, real estate and hotels. He even had a car agency and his son used to market it when he had it.
He is his own man has two MLAs with him, including wifey Jennifer. Till recently MLAs Vijai Sardessai (Ind) and Reginaldo Lourenco (Curtorim Congress) were with him. But sources indicate that this cosy relationship is at an end.
John Fernandes, the tough talking President, will realise that he needs to power his words with action. If you see our graphic, Ring of Unfaithfuls, it’s evident that he is nothing but just one minor faction in a cosmos he doesn’t control.
