TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: GPCC General Secretary Vijai Sardessai on Sunday evening quit the Congress and has decided to contest the coming polls as an Independent from Fatorda, moments after he was denied the Congress ticket by the party High Command, even as agitated supporters vowed to teach the Congress a lesson in the hustings.
The High Command decision triggered a revolt in the local party unit, with the entire Fatorda Block Congress Committee led by Joseph Silva and Fatorda Youth Congress Committee headed by Yatin Phadessai resigning en masse.
Sardessai later assured the people of Fatorda that he would work to get a chief minister who would protect identity and interests of the State.
Sardessai’s decision to contest the elections as an Independent came after a strong crowd of supporters gave him a go ahead to quit the Congress and contest the polls. Hundreds of hands went up after they were asked whether he should contest the coming elections as an Independent. “You are my High Command from today. I am
contesting the elections as an Independent as per your wish”, an emotionally choked Sardessai said.
Sardessai recalled how he had saved the Congress Governments on many occasion, adding that the Fatorda ticket is given to someone to help the BJP win the seat.
Former student leader Prashant Naik told Vijai not to get disheartened, saying the people of Fatorda are his ticket. “The people of Fatorda are your ticket and will teach the Congress a lesson”, Naik said.
Prominent amongst the speakers included BJP members Shishir and Nitin, who said that many BJP workers would now join Sardessai since he is contesting the polls as an Independent.
Addressing the gathering, outgoing Congress mahila chief Monica Dias expressed his resentment over the denial of the Fatorda ticket to Sardessai and blamed the leaders for the fiasco. A couple of Muslim leaders, including Akbar Mulla, also offered their unstinted support to Sardessai and gave him the green signal to contest as an Independent.
As hundreds of Sardessai’s supporters poured at his residence, the NH-17 was choked with traffic as vehicles were parked along the highway.
