Dear Oppositions, don’t take Cong for granted any more
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 09 March 2016 18:54 IST
“Don’t take Congress for granted any more. Babush should realise now what is his position without the Congress.”
This is the way Cumbarjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, who spearheaded CCP election in Panaji, reacted to his St Cruz colleague Babush Monseratte.
Babush had held the Congress responsible for his panel getting only 17 seats, while he was aiming at 27.
“We had no intention of damaging anybody’s prospects and help the BJP to win. It was a matter of re-establishing our own identity as the Congress in Goa”, said Madkaikar.
Babush as well as his party colleague Vishwajeet Rane had alleged that the Congress played as a B Team of the BJP, who got 13 seats in the CCP while Congress got none.
Even when in the Congress, Babush has been fielding his own panel in the CCP as well as Taleigao and St Cruz panchayats, stating that ‘I don’t need Congress, but Congress needs me.’
Babush, elected on Congress ticket in 2012 election, was later expelled from the party.
Reminding him of his statements, Madkaikar told goanews.com that he was delighted to know that ‘Babush now needs the Congress.’
He also agreed with his one-time close friend that his panel would have swept the CCP poll with minimum 25 seats if Congress was not in the fray.
“Imagine what would have happened if Babush panel would have not won one ward only with one vote. The situation of 16-14 would have seen a mad race to seize the power”, said Madkaikar.
Though Congress did not win a single seat, the Cumbarjua MLA said the CCP poll has helped them in making inroads in Panaji and Taleigao Assembly constituencies, where Congress had literally become defunct.
“We are now constituting block committees in Panaji and Taleigao, which we would consolidate further”, said Madkaikar.
Though he did not agree with Vishwajeet Rane’s statement that Congress should have not fielded candidate in the CCP, he has fully supported junior Rane’s proposal of a having a united front of anti-BJP forces.
“Not only CCP, the ZP and municipal elections have also delivered a clear message that people do not want BJP. It’s high time we set aside our egos and come together to defeat the BJP in the next election”, he said.
Madkaikar said all the politicians in opposition – Babush, Vijai Sardesai and all – should realise this and start working towards aligning together rather than everybody dreaming about becoming the chief minister.
He however did not agree with Rane’s observation that contesting CCP was an individual decision.
“The state executive had discussed it and central observer Digvijay Singh had also given a green signal, only after which the Congress started preparing for CCP election”, said the Congress leader.
