Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar has admitted that his celebration was dealing with a “belief deficit” amongst voters within the Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP)-ruled coastal state because of defections in its legislative unit within the final couple of years.
In an interview to PTI, Chodankar, who headed the state unit of the Congress until its dismal efficiency within the Meeting polls final yr, stated defections have been a “larger illness” and the sufferer was not simply the grand previous celebration in Goa as such issues have been occurring in different elements of the nation as nicely.
Within the February 2022 Meeting elections in Goa, the BJP received 20 seats, an enchancment from its 2017 efficiency when it had clinched 13 seats within the 40-member Home. The Congress may bag 11 seats final yr, down from 17 it had received within the earlier election. In September final yr – months after the outcomes – eight out of the 11 Congress MLAs defected to the ruling BJP. In 2019, as many as 10 Congress legislators had merged their insurgent group with the saffron celebration.
Earlier than the final yr’s Meeting polls, Congress had made all its 37 candidates take a pledge of celebration loyalty by taking them to varied locations of non secular worship. The celebration, nonetheless, didn’t cease the defections.
Chodankar, who has moved the courtroom for disqualification of those eight MLAs, who embrace former Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat, spoke about what ails the Congress within the tiny state.
“Congress is dealing with a belief deficit amongst voters in Goa. The celebration faces an enormous problem of regaining the belief of voters and rebuilding the celebration,” he stated.
“Defections is a much bigger illness and the sufferer is not only the Congress. That is occurring not simply in Goa however in lots of elements of the nation. BJP is determined for energy and doesn’t need the opposition to get any house in all the nation. They’re utilizing cash and muscle energy, authority to crush the opposition,” he alleged.
Chodankar, who had resigned because the state Congress chief taking ethical duty of the celebration’s poor efficiency within the final election, claimed that the BJP posed the most important menace to the Congress.
“Congress has a pan-India presence. The goal is to destroy the Congress which is the same as destroying the opposition. Defectors are supplied cash and positions. As soon as they swap sides, they don’t have any respect within the society and so they repent. A lot of the MLAs who defected in 2019 or earlier misplaced,” he claimed.
Chodankar stated he was stunned and shocked that the eight newly-elected MLAs fell prey to cash.
“Within the title of improvement they’ve cheated even god and damage the boldness and belief of individuals,” he charged.
The newly-elected MLAs final yr took an oath, signed affidavits saying they won’t defect and visited spiritual locations (to take oath of loyalty). However they don’t have the worry of god. They’ve cheated god and performed with the feelings of individuals. God is final for the devoted, he added.
“There’s a belief deficit and the sufferer is the Congress celebration. We’re victims and likewise the accused. We’re focused by voters that our MLAs defect after profitable. Why ought to folks belief us. The query is…Will we permit BJP to fulfil its agenda which is to create frustration amongst voters who aren’t with them. Their supporters are glad as a result of their ideology is getting strengthened,” he stated.
Chodankar lamented that ideology for defectors in cash and energy.
On being requested why the Congress couldn’t money in on the anti-incumbency of the state authorities and provides a contemporary management, he stated the celebration fielded new and younger faces.
“It’s tragic that they, too, ditched,” he stated.
He admitted that his celebration couldn’t counter the anti-incumbency as a result of the BJP introduced numerous events to Goa to separate Congress votes.
“BJP has taken over all the management of the state Congress. They pressured our senior chief Pratapsinh Rane to not contest. However regardless of the troubles, our vote share was intact at 25 per cent as in comparison with 28 per cent final time,” he stated.
In response to him, the Congress misplaced its conventional 1.5 lakh votes to the Aam Aadmi Celebration (AAP), the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Revolutionary Goans.
The Revolutionary Goans took away 60,000 to 70,000 votes of the grand previous celebration, he claimed.
“We didn’t persuade voters to not keep away from those that cut up votes. We misplaced 10 seats by a margin of lower than 2,000 votes. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant received by 300 votes,” he stated.
To a question on what’s the highway forward for the Congress, Chodankar stated the celebration can come again solely by retaining the partymen and voters.
“Retain previous energy. Make folks, who aren’t lively within the celebration, become involved in its actions. There may be a number of anger towards us, together with towards me as I used to be main the state unit, from the voters and likewise from the celebration, because of defections. We’ve got to construct contemporary management with ideological join,” he stated.
The celebration wants to present confidence to folks by aggressively exposing the BJP authorities, turn into the voice of the folks and provides such representatives to individuals who could be trusted.
“Regardless of strain, three Congress MLAs haven’t defected. Their picture within the eyes of the general public is excessive,” he stated.
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