Dissidence hits Congress margin in Goa
Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji
The ruling Congress is in a deep trouble in Goa, with a large
chunk of its vote bank going to the Bharatiya Janata Party and Churchill Alemao's United Goans Democratic Party.
And, as expected, the Congress leadership has turned its guns against dissidents, led by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Wilfred de Souza.
Demanding action against him, state Congress chief Shantaram Naik and Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane have already made trips to Delhi, accompanied by both the victorious candidates.
They were lucky to win both seats, but with a slender margin -- 417 in north Goa and 7,800 in south Goa -- against the BJP.
"Our preliminary reports indicate that some persons in the government have worked against the party," alleges the GPCC chief.
South Goa MP-elect Francisco Sardinha, however, claims he did not come across any such activity while Ravi Naik, elected from north Goa, supports his party chief.
Dismissing the allegation, the deputy chief minister has said that the UGDP and the Congress should come together.
He also blames the party leadership for neglecting the Catholics in the state who, he said, have voted for the UGDP this time.
But the party leadership's allegation seems visible in the case of de Souza's Saligao assembly segment. The UGDP scored the highest number of 3,501 votes in this constituency, relegating the Congress to the third position. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party stood second with 3,195 votes.
"My Saligao voters supported the UGDP in protest against the the Congress candidate and the chief minister," said Dr de Souza, asserting that it was basically a MGP stronghold.
Unlike the state party chief, Rane has played safe on the issue of dropping such leaders from his cabinet. "It depends on the
extent to which they were involved in anti-party activities," he
said.
Reacting to this, Dr de Souza said, "Let the leadership decide whether the party needs me or those leaders who have consistently hurt the sentiments of minorities."
As soon as the political dust in Delhi settles down, he said he will visit the capital to get back his 'political disciple' Alemao into the party fold.
His calculations are simple. Considering that the UGDP polled almost 25 per cent of the votes in both the constituencies, the Congress figures would have shot up to 57 per cent if there was an understanding with Alemao. The BJP scored only 30 per cent.
Disagreeing with the contention, UGDP spokesman Radharao Gracias said the party polled a good number of Hindu votes.
Though the de Souza group is confident of bringing Alemao into the Congress fold, a UGDP faction is now trying to rally all the regional outfits into an anti-Congress alliance.
"To revive the Congress, we have to fight the BJP, and not the UGDP," says Dr de Souza. But the party leaders feel they have to tackle the enemy within before taking on the rivals.
Elections '98
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