The Congress announced five more candidates on Wednesday for the February 14 elections to the 40-member Goa Assembly.
The latest list, that takes the Congress’ list of candidates to 29 in the 40-member strong Assembly, came on a day when a senior Trinamool Congress leader, who didn’t wish to be quoted, said the Congress will have to ‘share’ the blame if the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were to win the polls.
It also came on a day when the NCP-Shiv Sena announced a separate alliance as these parties (allies of the Congress in Maharashtra) couldn’t come to an understanding.
However, senior Congress leaders dismissed such a charge and claimed that the Trinamool’s ‘change of heart’ happened only after realising that the party’s campaign, led by strategist Prashant Kishor and his team, failed to take off.
“They felt that by breaking and poaching our leaders, they will be able to build a local unit. The reality is that people are leaving them and coming back,” said a Congress leader.
He argued that it is because of the Congress’ growing popularity that former minister Michael Lobo quit the BJP and joined the party.
On Tuesday, Mr Lobo was among the candidates who got into Congress and will be contesting from the Calangute seat.
The latest Congress has fielded Delailah Lobo from Siolim, Kedar Naik from Saligao, Adv. Carlos Alvares Ferreira from Aldona, Dr. Dinesh Jalmi from Priol and Moreno Rebello from Curtorim.
The Congress leader also claimed it could not agree on the number of seats to form an alliance with the NCP and the Sena to replicate a Maharashtra-like alliance and is going with a pre-poll pact only with Goa Forward Party.
