Team Herald
PANJIM: With just a few days left for filing of nominations for the 2017 State Assembly elections, suspense over the pre-poll alliance between Congress and like-minded parties like Goa Foward, United Goans and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) continues with the Congress high command still undecided.
United Goans leader Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate has, however, confirmed his party’s alliance with Congress for the Panjim seat and a “friendly fight” at Cortalim, where both parties are fielding their candidates. Congress will be fielding Gilbert Rodrigues and United Goans is putting up Ramakant Borkar in Cortalim.
Monserrate, along with Goa Forward mentor Vijai Sardesai, met the Congress Central Election Committee members on Wednesday, while on Thursday, after Congress announced its first list of candidates, they met with Rahul Gandhi.
Both the parties are demanding the Velim seat, where both have announced their candidates. While Congress has named former Minister Felipe Neri Rodrigues, GF had declared Antony Rodrigues candidature in Velim.
During the meeting in Delhi, Sardesai had stressed that GF be given four seats – Fatorda (Sardesai), Saligao (Jayesh Salgaocar), Siolim (Viond Palyekar) and Velim (Rodrigues). However, Congress has put a counter proposal of Porvorim to GF, instead of Velim.
A senior GF party worker confirmed that Rahul Gandhi told Sardesai that the decision would be taken shortly. “Till date there is no decision from Congress. We are hopeful of an alliance and have also proposed to have another friendly fight at Velim. We are awaiting Congress confirmation,” he said.
Sardesai will resign as MLA on January 16 and join GF. He, along with his candidates, will be filing their nominations on the same day, and expect the alliance announcement before that.
NCP has apparently agreed to fight just two seats – Vasco (Jose Philip D’Souza) and Benaulim (Churchill Alemao) which means that their declared candidates in Nuvem and Cortalim would be left in the lurch.
