Workers say Congress failed to respect the mandate of the people

PANJIM: After rejecting the Congress in the 2012 polls for their alleged corrupt and anti-people policies, the voters had again reposed their faith in the party, by giving it 17 seats and making Congress the single largest party. But, the party once again betrayed the voters when it failed to respect the mandate given by Goan electorate and form a government.

Despite facing a crisis in the form of two of its sitting MLAs shifting loyalties to the BJP and a revolt from those who were denied tickets ahead of the polls, Congress managed to emerge as the single largest party, getting almost double the number of MLAs it had got in 2012. 

But all of that went to naught, as Congress will sit another term in the opposition as internal rifts and personality issues led to the party failing to form the government. 

“People had reposed their faith in us after five years. We should have respected their mandate. Keeping aside our personal differences, we should have united to form the government at any cost. We have hurt the people once again,” Congress Vice President Babi Bagkar told Herald.

Congress leader and Calangute candidate Joseph Sequeira said the ‘people had given the party the mandate so it would be best that the people judge the party. “They are the best to comment on this. When the mandate is given to us, it was our responsibility to ensure we form government,” he said adding, “Party’s slow move was also evident during the ticket distribution.”

The Congress high command representative in Goa, AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh refused to accept the failure of the party, and on the contrary criticized Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for hijacking the mandate which was given to them by the people. 

But some Congress leaders did not agree with him. “Why should we blame someone, when we failed in our responsibility? We were 17 in number. People wanted us to form the government and hence, they had rejected BJP. But we failed to give people their government. What else to say,” Curtorim MLA-elect Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco said. 

Congress being 17 in number required only four more to claim a majority.  However, Congress failed to hold on to even those two.