HEARTBURN FOR CONGRESS OVER SECRET POLL PACTS IN GOA

NEW DELHI : The Congress has decided not to contest on four seats the upcoming elections in Goa, leaving those for two prospective alliance partners and an independent candidate.

The move has caused much resentment among a section of Congress leaders who feel that the "tacit understanding" with the Goa Forward and the United Goan Party is going to "hurt" their party’s prospects in the February 4 polls.

The Congress released its first list of 27 candidates on January 12 and second list of seven on January 15. On the last day of filing of nominations on Wednesday, two more Congress candidates submitted their papers.

The Congress is locked in a triangular contest with the ruling BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is fighting the Goa assembly polls for the first time.

Though party general secretary in charge of Goa, Digvijaya Singh, had maintained that there will be no alliance, the Congress, in a “secret understanding”, decided to leave two seats for Goa Forward, a new regional outfit formed in January 2016.

While the Congress is backing the Goa Forward in Fatorda and Siolim, the party is also supporting its expelled legislator, Atanasio (Babush) Monserratte, who recently floated United Goan Party. Independent legislator Rohan Khaunte from Porvorim also managed to get the Congress on his side.

Goa Congress spokesperson Avinash Tavares has sought “disciplinary action” against Digvijaya Singh for keeping the party’s Fatorda block committee “in dark” over the alliance with the Goa Forward.