MARGAO: The Congress old guard is finally back at the centrestage after two-and-half year-long hibernation virtually leaving the young blood, who were eying the 2017 Assembly poll under the party banner at the crossroads.
A number of young leaders from Salcete and down South, who had made common cause with the party by working for the success of the Congress candidate in the April Lok Sabha poll are keeping their fingers crossed over the emerging developments in the Congress.
Apart from those who were eyeing to take a shot at the 2017 Assembly poll, a whole lot of young party workers who were short-listed for induction on the block panels also face an uncertain future with Luizinho Faleiro taking over the GPCC reigns by replacing John Fernandes, who had initiated the process of reconstitution of the blocks during his tenure.
The John Fernandes dispensation had zeroed in on certain constituency-based leaders in Nuvem, Cuncolim, Sanguem, Ponda, Shiroda, Benaulim, Cortalim and Dabolim as probable candidates for the coming Assembly poll in return for their support to the party candidate in the Lok Sabha poll. It is feared that some of these leaders may now pursue their political agenda under their own banner if the new Congress leadership cold-shoulders their presence and contribution for the party. Take the case of Nuvem. Nuvem Zilla member Wilfred D’Sa (Babashan)was promoted and projected by the Reginaldo Lourenco group in the Congress as a probable candidate after he worked for the party in the Lok Sabha poll. In fact, Wilfred had announced his candidature for Nuvem at his birthday celebration last Sunday, but with the old guard back, sources said Wilfred may float his own organisation to carry forward his political agenda.
In Cuncolim, the Congress was instrumental in giving entry to John Monteiro, who had polled close to 5000 votes in the 2012 Assembly poll, playing spoil sport to Joaquim Alemao’s plan to play a third innings. However Joaquim Alemao’s presence on Faleiro’s dais earlier this week, isn’t quite a pretty picture, for the new leadership in Cuncolim, where Alemao doesn’t quite fit in the frame.
The situation is no different in constituencies such as Benaulim, Ponda, Sanguem, Cortalim and Dabolim, where the emerging political development in the GPCC has dented hopes of local leaders who had rallied behind the Congress in the Lok Sabha poll.
That’s not all. The young blood at the constituency-level are also in a confused state of mind after being short-listed by the party general secretaries during the process initiated during John’s tenure. A party general secretary claimed that they are flooded with questions from these young workers, who had planned to make it big in the party, raising questions whether they will get a place on the block panels as promised by the leaders during the tenure of outgoing PCC President.
Commenting on the situation, Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco said the new party leadership should not leave these young and budding leaders stranded midway. “Many of them have helped me and the party during the Lok Sabha election when many a party leader had indulged in anti-party activities. They had reposed their faith in the party and it’s time we stand by the young blood taking into account the future of the Congress in Goa”, Reginaldo said.
