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PANAJI
Congress party will not contest all 40 seats but have an understanding with like-minded individuals on a few seats to be contested. The party will not contest the assembly election in atleast four of the six constituencies where the Congress is yet to announce its candidates.
Speaking exclusively to ‘The Navhind Times,’ All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and Goa desk in-charge Digvijaya Singh Monday said that the party will not contest all the 40 seats during the February 4 Goa assembly election.
“We have decided that there will not be an alliance. However, we will have an understanding in certain constituencies where we will support individual candidates, who will openly accept our support,” he stated.
Singh said that Congress party will not contest in Panaji constituency and support Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate. In Porvorim, the party will support Rohan Khaunte, while in Fatorda it will support Vijai Sardesai and in Siolim, it will support Goa Forward Party’s candidate.
He said, “Babush, Rohan and Vijai have accepted that they shall come out openly and state that they are contesting with the support of the Congress party.”
When asked about Saligao, he said, “We are yet to decide on the Saligao constituency, as we are having strong contenders from the party to contest the seat.” Congress will announce the candidate for Priol constituency on Tuesday.
Responding to a question on the dissent that has been announced by the block committees if the party forms an alliance with other parties, he said that the party was not forming an alliance but only supporting certain individuals.
“We are not forming an alliance with any party, we are only supporting individuals to defeat BJP. As far as the Congress block committees are concerned, we will convince them to stand with the party’s decision,” he said.
Stating that the party has not proposed any ‘friendly fight’ as claimed by Monserrate, the Goa desk in-charge said, “Every candidate is an opponent and you fight the elections. There is nothing called friendly fight.”
Monserrate had claimed that the United Goans Party will contest a ‘friendly fight’ in Cortalim and Sardesai had claimed the same for Velim constituency.
Meanwhile, a senior national leader from the Congress stated that the party’s highest decision making body, the Central Election Committee under the leadership of Congress high command Sonia Gandhi had unanimously resolved that the party will contest all the 40 constituencies and no alliance will be formed.
“Rahulji has made it clear that in the present circumstances in Goa, the party will not form an alliance. The CEC has taken a decision during the meeting (January 10) which was headed by Sonia Gandhiji,” he said.
He further said that keeping the decision in mind, the CEC had finalised all the 40 candidates during its meeting and the list was expected to be announced subsequently, which has been delayed due to various reasons.
