NT NETWORK
PANAJI
All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and Goa desk in-charge Digvijaya Singh Tuesday announced that the party will not form an alliance but have seat adjustment with viable candidates to unseat BJP from power in the state.
Singh, who was expected to announce the seat adjustment details on Tuesday, has only furthered the speculations that all was not well within the Congress in the state. The party is keeping its cards close to the heart as the party leadership continues to mull over the option of ‘seat adjustment.’
While the suspense on Fatorda, Porvorim and Siolim continues, sources in the party said that a decision has been taken to nominate Agnelo Fernandes from Saligao and Ramakrishna Jalmi from Priol constituencies as candidates.
Addressing the media in Panaji, Singh said, “There will be no alliance with any political party, but going for a strategic seat adjustment, that also subject to discussion with the leadership of Congress party in Goa.” He said that the party leadership is talking to candidates and wherever Congress does not have viable candidates, they are looking at viable candidates from other parties or Independents, who can defeat BJP.
“Strategic seat adjustment means we support each other’s candidates to defeat the BJP,” he said.
Singh said that the seat adjustment will be based on issues and will continue post election. “The issue is if we are together to defeat BJP on ideological basis and on the basis of misgovernance, then obviously that will continue post poll also,” he said.
Responding to allegations by Nationalist Congress Party that Singh was responsible for the collapse of the alliance between the two parties, Singh said, “NCP becomes active when elections come. Where was NCP during the last four and half years when Congress was fighting for the people of Goa on different issues? In Goa, they have been taking seats without an organisation and without candidates.”
Singh announced that the Congress party will release its manifesto on Monday, January 23.
