NT NETWORK
PANAJI
In its monthly newsletter ‘Congressacho Awaz’ released on Wednesday, the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has blamed the central leadership and explained the sequence of events post counting days which resulted in Congress failing to form the government despite emerging as the single largest party in the assembly election held in February.
“On March 11 it was the then Goa desk in-charge Digvijaya Singh who disallowed the intimation to the Governor to stake claim as she was bound to invite the party by virtue of it being the single largest party,” mentions the newsletter.
The newsletter says that Rahul Gandhi spoke to Goa Forward Party over phone on March 11 and accepted all conditions laid down by his party, including dropping Luizinho Faleiro as chief ministerial candidate and got the required support verbally to form the government, however on March 12 when Congress MLAs met and unanimously resolved to stake claim with the Governor, it was Digvijaya Singh again who decided that the Congress need not submit the letter staking its claim, but should instead wait for the Governor’s invite.
“As the Congress party waited expectantly to hear from the Governor as per Singh’s advice, four mentors of the Goa Forward Party were engaged in discussions with the Congress party in regard to offering their support. Ironically, just as the Congress came into an agreement with Goa Forward’s mentors on the modalities of extending support, the GFP mentors expressed intense shock and embarrassment to learn that at that very moment, GFP and MGP MLAs were already at the door of the Governor to extend support to the BJP government. Neither did the Governor call as Digvijaya Singh had insisted she would, nor was the promise of GFP honoured,” states the newsletter.
The newsletter also contains Luizinho Faleiro’s resignation letters which proves that the MLAs were unhappy with his leadership and labeled him as an obstacle if Congress attempts to topple the BJP-led government post Panaji and Valpoi by-elections.
“A couple of senior leaders within the party publicly stated that the Congress party would not get more than two seats in the Assembly elections, and these same leaders are claiming that they can form the government in the present scenario. We hope we can accomplish this claim. However, as some of the MLAs feel that my continuation creates a hindrance to the formation of the government, I would request you to relieve me of my responsibilities,” stated Luizinho Faleiro in a letter written to Sonia Gandhi on June 23.
Now, the Congress says that every failure carries within it lessons and it must be learnt on the road to success and this lesson the party must carry from their experience.