Defectors' readmission defames Cong

GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 23 December 1998 11:51 IST

While the Congress is gaining ground at national level, it appears to be losing its base in Goa, especially after forming the government once again in three and a half months by readmitting the same defectors who had revolted and joined hands with the opposition to form a coalition government.

Dissent is brewing within the party cadres over rewarding defectors with big positions and influential portfolios in the government while even AICC general secretary Madhavrao Scindia, in-charge of Goa desk, failed to pacify them during his recent visit to the tourist state.

Scindia was presented with a memorandum, signed by around 100 prominent and veteran Congressmen in the state, protesting against the attitude of pampering the ones involved in anti-party activities.

Four defectors were readmitted into the party to form the Congress government while Dayanand Narvekar is being made the deputy chief minister. On the other hand, Churchill Alemao is also being made the senior vice president, rewarding him for his nuisance value, they feel.

"It is a sin to be loyal in the Congress party nowadays. We need not be rewarded with position, but should not be insulted by imposing such elements on us", said one of the signatories in anguish. They are furious because even Scindia did not respect their feelings.

The signatories even pointed out that Panchmarhi convention resolution has been violated by rewarding the defectors. But Scindia preferred to refute the argument, stating that it was not a part of the main declaration but a mere recommendation made by the organisational working group.

Though Scindia admits that such acts do not fit into the principles of the Congress, his justification is "certain circumstances" that forced party president Sonia Gandhi to take such a decision. The party has empowered her to decide on such issues on case-to-case basis, he says, while declining to divulge the nature of circumstances.

Scindia also does not agree with the demand that the Congress should immediately recommend dissolution of the House and face early polls, despite admitting the fact that people at large do not want any party to rule the state anymore with the kind of greedy legislators in the 40-member House.

Supporting the stand taken by the cabinet, empowering chief minister Luizinho Faleiro to recommend dissolution as and when time arises, Scindia prefers to wait and watch his party performance for three months. "I think people are happy with the Congress rule", he claims.

Scindia's visit has once again confirmed the speculation that the Congress actually does not want dissolution but it is a mere threat to the disgruntled party legislators who were planning to resign and join hands with Dr Wilfred de Souza, leader of the Goa Rajiv Congress, allowing him to form the coalition government. They were offered cabinet berths there.     


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