n Party sends NCP packing; announces 7 more candidates n Cong agrees to seat-sharing with Goa Forward & UGP
PANAJI
The Congress high command on Sunday ripped off the label of an ‘alliance’ from its arrangement with the Nationalist Congress Party, while agreeing to proceed under the title of ‘seat-sharing formula’ with the Goa Forward Party and United Goans Party in a total of five constituencies.
The party added seven more names to its present list of candidates, taking the tally to 34.
All India Congress Committee secretary Girish Chodankar informed that the newly declared candidates include Vijay Bhike from Mapusa, Joseph Sequeira from Calangute, former sarpanch and Babush Monserrate’s aide Tony Fernandes from St Cruz, Youth Congress president Xavier Fialho from Cumbarjua, Santosh Sawant from Mayem, GPCC minority cell leader Saifulla Khan from Vasco and Edwin Barretto from Benaulim.
The second list includes four new faces in addition to the eleven newcomers announced previously.
Commenting on the development, GFP supremo Vijai Sardesai stated, “Singh has telephonically conveyed to us that there will be no alliance per se and instead, there will be a seat-sharing formula whereby the Congress will not field candidates in Fatorda, Siolim, Saligao and Porvorim. We will fight the elections against each other in Velim.”
While GFP is readying its candidate Anthony Rodrigues for an electoral battle against former minister and Congress candidate Filipe Nery Rodrigues in Velim, the UGP has also begun to prepare the ground for its candidate Ramakant Borkar in Cortalim for what was previously termed as a ‘friendly fight’ between alliance partners.
Sources from Congress affirmed that the party will offer backing to UGP supremo Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate in Panaji.
On the other hand, the Congress camp’s move to announce candidates from Benaulim and Vasco makes it amply clear that all arrangements with the NCP are off.
NCP Goa president Jose Philip D’Souza, who was hoping to secure the Vasco seat, will now go to polls against Congress, sitting BJP MLA and his archrival Jose Luis Carlos Almeida, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party’s Manesh Arolkar and Aam Aadmi Party’s Loretta D’Souza.
Meanwhile, sources disclosed that the talks with NCP were called off as the Congress refused to reconcile with its former chief minister Churchill Alemao, who is expected to file his nomination on the NCP ticket this week.
Speaking to The Goan, NCP state unit president Jose Philip D’Souza stated, “We will go it alone and contest the polls. Our candidates will be announced by Monday.”
AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh is expected to arrive in Goa on Monday, and on Tuesday he will formally announce the ‘seat-sharing formula’ with UGP and GFP, thus providing a semblance of clarity to the categories of ‘Congress allies’ and ‘Congress rivals’.
