Sandesh Prabhudesai
27 May 1999
Every attempt of the Congress to strengthen the party and pose a better
image before the electorate appears to be boomeranging on them. Amidst such confusion,
party chief Sonia Gandhi is coming here on Sunday to address two rallies for the state
Assembly elections, scheduled on June 4.
The latest attempt of the Congress to readmit Trojan D’Mello,
close confidant of former Congress leader Dr Wilfred de Souza, has backfired on the local
leadership. Shrikant Malik, the Congress candidate fighting against de Souza in Saligao,
has strongly opposed D’Mello’s homecoming.
"It is a plot by our Congress leaders to make de Souza ultimately
win the elections", alleges Malik while clearly telling even the high command
observers that he would not allow D’Mello to step in his constituency. Malik feels
being backstabbed by his own party leaders.
Floating Goa Rajiv Congress after he split from the Congress last year,
de Souza has now fielded 14 candidates in Congress strongholds while also supporting
handful of Congress rebels, who are contesting as independents. After his attempts to form
a front of regional parties failed, he is now talking about aligning with the Congress to
rule, in case Goa throws up a hung Assembly.
Though all the Congress functionaries deny the allegation made by
Malik, sources in the Congress House disclose that de Souza is in close touch with the
party high command and may stage a comeback after polls. Perhaps this is the reason why de
Souza fully supported the view that any Indian having foreign origin could be made
India’s prime minister.
"I left the Congress because it was in the hands of corrupt
elements", says de Souza when asked whether he had any differences on Congress
policies. D’Mello, who was also the GRC general secretary, in his resignation letter
to de Souza also emphasises this point, providing a hint.
Meantime, confusion regarding the resolution taken by the state Youth
Congress in support of Sharad Pawar’s group still continues as all the party
functionaries, including AICC emissary Ramesh Chennithala, maintains silence on why the
resolution is not being withdrawn till date.
"We are satisfied with the rejoinder issued by GPYC chief Vishnu
Wagh that he continues supporting Mrs Gandhi’s leadership", says Chennithala,
asserting that the party in Goa is intact. But Youth Congress sources claim that action
against the GPYC leadership is being put off only to avoid further damage to the
party’s image.
Manohar Parrikar, the BJP spokesperson, however calls it desperate
attempts of the Congress to get all sympathisers of the Congress like de Souza to win so
that they could form the government by hook or crook. "The Congress split is visible
and voter would not elect candidates of the divided party", he claims, making it the
main plank of the campaign now onwards.
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