We ask Digambar Kamat: Does a son have to ever tell his mother he will not betray her?

A  couple of days ago, Digambar Kamat in an interview to another paper made a strange declaration. He promised that he would never betray the Congress. 

Now why did the leader of the opposition who has been in the party for 17 years, after he defected from the BJP have to declare that he would not back-stab the very party which made him? Now does a son ever have to say that he will never betray his mother unless there is some kind of a doubt – either in people’s minds, or in the son’s mind?

Did Digambar Kamat actually have to place this on record? What was his compulsion? Was he covering up for something? It is well known that Kamat at times does make trips to Delhi and there is always speculation that the visits are connected to his ‘jumping the ship’ plans. He did so in 2019 when Manohar Parrikar’s health was deteriorating and again recently when it is learnt he attempted to meet the BJP top brass. But did they meet him or give him a respectful hearing? Take a guess. Kamat himself has denied all of this though. But having to explain and declare his loyalty is the perfect ground to suspect that this “loyalty” cannot be taken for granted.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS IF YOU HAVE TO TELL YOUR MOTHER (THE PARTY) THAT YOU WILL NOT BETRAY HER, THEN THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY AMISS.

It is in this backdrop that the visit of AICC in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao has to be seen. What did he do here? Was he able to squeeze some loyalty out of his people? And for sure he did not meet relevant people either from society or party and most importantly, opinion-makers. If he was here to really understand the pulse of the people, then surely the current so-called GPCC president Girish Chodankar and his groupies aren’t the best candidates to give him the real pulse of the people. Did he care to meet people who would give real feedback? No.

At the same time barring Luizinho Faleiro, who is the only one among the other four MLAs certain of contesting on a Congress ticket or contesting at all in the next elections? And yet Faleiro is not interested in leading the party in the next election.

Who are the loyals? Ravi Naik, a former Chief Minister of the Congress, has declared that “parties do not matter” and he will contest as an Independent. That speaks volumes of the abject misery of the party that a senior leader says “parties do not matter”. In reality, Ravi Naik will be working hard to get his son elected on a BJP ticket from Ponda, while he goes solo from Marcaim. Then Pratapsingh Rane is unlikely to contest another election, especially with son Vishwajit in the BJP. The next Rane who contests from Poriem will fly the saffron flag.

Digambar Kamat’s overdrive to insist that he will not betray the party (like a son having to say he won’t betray his mother) doesn’t really inspire confidence in his loyalty.

We then come to Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, the Curtorim MLA, by far the most vocal and vociferous MLA of the Congress. By continuously side-lining him and forcing him to fend for himself, there is every possibility that Reginaldo may take his own call and contest as an Independent from Curtorim, because in any case, he feels independent.

But does Dinesh Gundu Rao know this? How will he know, if he has met only Girish Chodankar, some office bearers and some workers? Most importantly is he really interested? And even more critically has someone honestly told him that even though people are desperately looking for a people-centric government, this version of the Congress is NOT their first choice?

The Congress is steadily and surely heading towards being rejected for the same reasons why they were rejected in 2012, and this time they are not even ruling. The reasons are clear and we will break them into simple points for a clear understanding:

1) There is no leadership. Unelectable leaders like Girish Chodankar and his handpicked coterie who threaten to even split the party during the visit of the AICC general secretary, have hijacked the party. Is this a party or a group of self-seeking individuals using the party?

2) There are increasingly strong reports on how tickets are being promised left, right and centre to anyone with no emphasis on merit. And if merit is not the criteria, then it is obvious what is the criteria. And in such a situation do you expect the party, moving forward, to be non-corrupt and clean?

3) Family Raj may come back. There are signs that losing veterans with little or no grassroots support are planning to return, faces that have been rejected by the people of Goa

4) Each feels he is a leader in his own right. Where is the party or its processes? And more importantly who are its candidates who will win?

In the light of all this, it clearly appears that a deliberate systematic destruction of the party is being planned. This is nothing but political suicide by the Congress. Planned and executed by its traitors.