Goemakrponn desk
CANDOLIM: Amidst rumours of BJP Minister Michael Lobo set to join the Congress party along with his wife, the AICC in-charge of Goa campaign P Chidambaram has reportedly assured the Calangute block that “no outsider will get Congress candidature.”
Emerging out of the meeting, Chidambaram shrugged off rumours of Lobo joining Congress.
“Who is local MLA? Who is the minister who wants to join Congress? I don’t know anything. I only know the Congress leaders. You, please ask me about them,” said Chidambaram after addressing the Congres Calangute block in Candolim.
Former Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes said that Chidambaram has assured them that Calangute Congress candidate will be from teh party and no outsider would be given entry or ticket.
“We have expressed our sentiments, and he has assured the loyalty and integrity would be the only criteria for Congress candidature,” he said.
On the rumours, Agnel said it is being created by Michael Lobo himself.
“These rumours are spread by Lobo himself. He is creating rumours to keep his supporters together. He knows BJP would not win this time,” he said.
Agnelo further said that they have told AICC in-charge that anyone out of the three – Agnelo himself, Joseph Sequeira or Anthony Fernandes can be given the ticket.
“We will support each other whoever gets the ticket,” he said.
Congress’ Calangute block president Benedict D’Souza said that the meeting was fruitful as Chidambaram has addressed teh key issues.
“We have been assured that Calangute-Candolim ODP will be denotified. The main problem is PDA ODP. It was in our manifesto last time, and again this time, we will assure to denotify the same,” he said.
Similarly, he added, we have also been assured that the block will decide the candidate.
“There was fake news that somebody is coming to Congress from BJP. We are sure that Chidambaram will keep his promise. We have three candidates in Calangute; they have been working together, and people are giving great support,” he stated.
