Expelled, independents getting ‘closer’ to the Congress?
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 12 March 2016 19:35 IST
Is it only the floor management in the Assembly, marching towards Grand Alliance for the Assembly election or ultimately all of them joining the Congress before election?
This is what media persons were discussing after a Grand Press Conference of 6 opposition MLAs, claiming support of two more and consent of opposition leader Pratapsing Rane.
The press meet was addressed by three independents – Vijai Sardesai, Rohan Khaunte and Naresh Sawal, two Congressmen Alex Reginald Lourenco and Vishwajeet Rane as well as Babush Monseratte, who was expelled from the Congress.
“Digambar Kamat and Jennifer Monseratte are also with us”, announced Sardesai.
Junior Rane on the other hand said his father and opposition leader Pratapsing Rane was aware of this joint effort and he has given his consent to the anti-BJP front.
They began the press conference, stating that they have jointly put questions for the budget session beginning on Monday so that they remain on top in the lots with their questions, exposing the government misdeeds.
In fact each one of them also listed out several issues, alleging that the BJP government is playing fraud on Goans and have looted the state to benefit their financial lobbies.
But when asked whether this was a move towards the Grand Alliance they were talking about, Sardesai was trying to reply for everybody.
“Grand Alliance is the flavour of the season”, he said, while stating that they would work together with a Common Minimum Programme.
He also said the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party was not an untouchable for them, provided it gives up reluctance and comes with them on firm footings.
But he also agreed that the MGP, the junior alliance partner of the ruling BJP, has to give up its ultra-rightist agenda.
“None of us are against the Congress ideology, what we have are individual differences”, claimed Sardesai.
But his independent colleagues preferred to remain silent on his statement.
The media also did not spare Babush.
When asked if he has now decided to join hands with the Congress, whom he called the B Team of the BJP in the recently concluded CCP election, Babush said: “we have come together for the floor management.”
He said he was not sure what would happen in the future and his priority would always remain to be his constituency.
Sardesai however emphatically denied the theory of everybody ultimately joining the Congress before election.
“We don’t want to be controlled by the high command in New Delhi and sideline the regional aspirations”, he said, flying the invisible flag of Goa Forward.
But it appeared that things have started moving towards polarising anti-BJP forces, especially after the news of Alex Reginald Lourenco becoming the Goa Congress president and probably also the change in the CLP leadership.
