GPCC's new president Sardinha hopes to go alone in next polls

Panaji, Aug 25 (UNI) Francisco Sardinha, the new president of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) today said that the party would go it alone in the next Assembly and Lok Sabha elections if it had better chances of winning on its own.

''No can stop us from going it alone in the coming elections if the party has winning chances,'' Mr Sardinha told mediapersons immediately after assuming office at the Congress House here.

Mr Sardinha, a former Chief Minister and Speaker who was defeated by Save Goa Front (SGF) candidate Lourenco from Curtorim constituency in the June 2 elections, has taken over as the GPCC president from Ravi S Naik who is presently Home Minister in the Digambar Kamat Cabinet.

Notably, the South Goa Lok Sabha seat has been vacant following the resignation of Congress rebel Churchil Alemao before the June 2 elections. Mr Alemao had resigned to lead the regional outfit Save Goa Front in the hope of forming an alternative government.

Mr Sardinha said he was yet to study the report on the outcome of the June 2 elections prepared by the experts, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of the party in all the 40 assembly constituencies.

At present, the Congress has strength of 16 in the 40-member House supported by its pre-poll partners--NCP-three, independent - one and now unattached-one (Atanasio Monserrate, expelled by the UGDP) and two of the SGF.

''My immediate priority is to strengthen the party from the grassroots level and ensure successful implementation of the party manifesto,'' Mr Sardinha said.

He assured the people to strive for further promoting coordination between the party and the Congress-led coalition government, besides its policies and programmes to benefit ''aam aadmi (common man)''.

He would take appropriate decision regarding the reconstitution of the GPCC, if necessary, only after studying the situation. There might be some minor changes here and there, but no major changes, he hinted.

He said was yet to take stock of the developments in respect of the lone woman Congress legislator Victoria Fernandes, who had recently made a U-turn by withdrawing her resignation from the House after severing her relations with the Goa Democratic Alliance.

'' I am not aware whether she was ''condoled'' by the party so that the Speaker could not take cognizance of the disqualification petition pending against her for violating the party whip by abstaining herself from voting on budget demands on July 24 last,'' Mr Sardinha added.

Though the SGF was its pre-poll enemy, the Congress got the support from its two members after the MGP withdrawing its support from the government to join the anti-Congress coalition of Goa Democratic Alliance, he said.

Earlier, Mr Ravi Naik was felicitated by the party in presence of AICC general secretary in-charge of Goa Margret Alva and Chief Minister Kamat.

UNI