Special Correspondent
Panaji
Stating that the 2027 Goa assembly election candidates of the Congress party would be declared early, Girish Chodankar on Saturday said that Congress will prevent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from poaching its candidates after this election by getting at least 21 of its candidates elected at the polls.
“If the Congress crosses the 21-candidate mark then no one will dare to leave the party and join BJP,” Chodankar said, pointing out that the BJP, on the other hand, will not be able to get even six of its candidates elected at this election. He also stressed that no defector would get the Congress candidature.
Earlier, Chodankar took over the charge as the new Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president in the presence of Goa desk in-charge of the party Manikrao Thakare.
The newly appointed GPCC office-bearers namely working presidents M K Shaikh and Carlos Ferreira and treasurer Datta Naik were also present
on the occasion.
Assuring that the Congress will form a clean, transparent and pro-people government in 2027, Chodankar stated that public has a lot of expectations from the new GPCC members, even though these members have far less time on their hand.
“However, during the monsoon we intend to gather the workers and strengthen the organisational structure of the party,” he said and added that the GPCC will also form Mandal committees in the state as per the Jaipur Declaration of Congress.
Speaking further, the new GPCC president said that the BJP government in Goa has taken out Goa for sale. However, Congress will increase pressure on this government and not allow it to sell Goa, he said. Chodankar also said that Brand Goa has been damaged by BJP during its 15-year-rule in Goa.
Speaking on the occasion, Thakare said that his party desires to take the non-BJP political parties along with it during the forthcoming Goa assembly polls. “Let us see what proposals are forwarded by them,” he added, pointing out, “We will then finalise these proposals and the final decision would be taken by the party’s high command.”
Datta Naik said that as the newly appointed GPCC treasurer, he intends to purchase a new office for the party. He also said that small collections and crowd funding would be undertaken to raise funds for the party.
Outgoing GPCC president Amit Patkar was conspicuous by his absence at the briefing.
