Congress quietly confident in only state where it has a chance, BJP flies in crisis man Fadnavis
Ex-CM Digambar Kamat and Cong Goa president Girish Chodankar at a Bambolim resort. Picss/Faizan Khan
Senior Congress leaders, including a former chief minister, are confident that the party will form the government in Goa with clear majority, as people have lost faith in the BJP. But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members are also confident of the same and insist that Congress doesn’t have faith in its people, as its candidates who contested the Assembly polls have been kept together at a resort in Bambolim.
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Goans are not vocal about it but I can feel so much anger against the ruling regime while campaigning,” former chief minister of the state, Digambar Kamat told mid-day.
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis speaks to the media in Goa
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former chief minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis responded to Kamat while speaking to mid-day and said, “If they are confident then why shift MLAs to resorts? It is because they don’t have faith in their own people and their leadership is weak. Goans are with us and we will from the government with majority.”
The Congress shifted majority of their candidates who had contested the Assembly polls to a Bambolim beach resort to avoid possible poaching by the BJP. “Last time there was a delay in communication from the top leadership because they didn’t expect that the BJP would stoop to this level. But this time we are sure of getting a clear majority because the people of Goa are fed up of BJP and they want a change,” added Kamat.
The resort where the Congress has kept its MLAs
On the shifting of MLAs to the resort, the Congress Goa President Girish Chodankar said, “We don’t want to take any chance and it’s not just poaching, lot of things are happening. All are youngsters and they just want to stay together for team work and team building.”
‘The past is the past’
Asked about the poaching by BJP the last time - in 2017, Karnataka Congress President DK Shivkumar said, “The past is past, Goans want to prosper and see changes in Goa. They have voted for Congress again and this time we are going to form the government.”
Goa CM Pramod Sawant is confident that the BJP will get majority. Pics/Faizan Khan
Another senior congress leader said, “The situation has changed. Nobody had ever imagined that we would form a government with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. The similar will happen in Goa. We will form a government, it doesn’t matter how many seats we get.”
The Congress unit of Goa also believes that this time MLAs from BJP will leave the party. “This is karma which is going to return to the BJP and haunt them as people will leave them,” Chodankar told mid-day. The Congress has alleged Maharashtra-like politics by the BJP in Goa. Congress leaders have met the DGP of Goa police and alleged that the BJP in connivance with some police officers, is tapping and tracking their phones illegally.”The complaint has been given to the DGP who assured us action but we have not yet received any response from him.” Chodankar added.
CM is confident too
“We had discussions with the senior leaders, all MLAs after the result have been asked to report to the BJP office. We are fully confident of forming the government in Goa again,” said Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister Goa.
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