Walking not to win Election; the People: Girish Chodankar
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 08 December 2016 10:17 IST
Breaking his own record of 2002 of walking 180 kms from Canacona to Pedne, All India Congress Committee Secretary Girish Chodankar is today leading a Padyatra, covering 266 kms and 34 constituencies.
Entering the ninth day of his 14-day Padyatra that started from Pedne, Chodankar says: “We are not walking to win the election, but to win over the people and project before them a real Congress.”
His 120-stong brigade walking with him almost 22 kms a day is equally firm on not giving tickets to the same blackmailers, tainted leaders and those who were rejected by the people for their lust to power.
“The new thought is equally dominant in the Pradesh Election Committee and you will see the outcome when candidates are declared,” says Chodankar, a close confident of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
His Padyatra appears to be a confident-building exercise within the party rather than the people at large, since the frustrated cadres of Congress are seen joining the Walk with a Hope.
“Definitely the Padyatra has charged our workers,” he says, admitting indirectly that the cadres were demoralised all these years.
Most of the 100 odd cadres walking with him belong to the old Youth Congress brigade he had led in 2000, who are desperately trying to energise the party.
He also makes it clear that none of them are walking to get tickets, including himself.
According to him, the biggest failure of the Congress that ruled the state for two long decades since 1980 is that the individuals became taller than the organisation.
“We don’t want such self-centred individuals but want to project what the original Congress is. I know we can’t achieve it overnight. This Padyatra is a humble beginning”, says Chodankar.
He also admits that equally biggest failures of the party are corruption and Family Raj that dominated the Congress.
He seemed to be not bothered about some of the MLAs joining his Padyatra in spite of informing them about the route and dates.
In 14 days, with holidays on the occasions of Old Goa Feast and forthcoming Eid, the Padyatra is not reaching only six constituencies – Valpoi, Panaji, Taleigao, St Cruz, St Andre and Canacona.
Chodankar also claims that people are responding to their exercise as they are fed up of the BJP rule.
“We tell them about the lies they told like 50,000 jobs or unemployment allowances as well as the U turns they made on several promises like casinos, regional plan, medium of instruction etc. At the same time, we also project achievements of Congress like Right to Information, Right to Food, Right to Education etc,” he says.
In a way, Chodankar and the cadres have posed a challenge before the Congress leadership to walk the talk of the Padyatra while declaring the candidates.
And ultimately, the Electronic Voting Machines would show whether the Padyatra could win the confidence of the people, who had outrightly rejected the Congress in 2012 and is highly critical of their performance as a united opposition in the last five years.
But undoubtedly, the Walk has helped the party to bring together the scattered and frustrated cadres and create a new wave of confidence among them.
Shameless Congress, still thinking to Contest Goa Election! Congress stomach is still not full by eating 35 Thousand Corers of Goans? Congress is dreaming to build Mopa Airport and get share in it. Congress is thinking that Goans are fool that they will vote Congress to start Corruptions again. Congress must first give each Goan Family Ten Lakhs Rupees from the Thirty Five Thousand Corers Rupees, which they have earned through illegal Mining and then they must think about contesting election.
Current Govt made a big mistake by not baring this mining scamsters,price of which they are going to pay in coming elections.