Open Letter to K. C. Venugopal, Raises Seven Questions on Goa Congress

Team Goemkarponn
Margao: Political analyst and long-time Indian National Congress supporter Vishal Pai Cacode has written an open letter to AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K. C. Venugopal ahead of his visit to Goa, raising what he described as key concerns about the future of the party in the state.
Stating that his questions stem from commitment rather than bitterness, Pai Cacode said the letter reflects the sentiments of thousands of dedicated Congress workers and supporters.
Recalling his association with the Indian National Congress since 1979, when the party contested elections on the Cow and Calf symbol, Pai Cacode said he has remained committed to the party’s ideology for more than four decades without seeking any organisational position or electoral ticket. He noted that he had served as election agent for the Congress candidate from Margao in three Assembly elections and remained loyal to the party even after the candidate later defected.
Pai Cacode also highlighted his contributions during the 2021 and 2022 Goa Assembly election campaigns. These included assisting during the visits of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to Goa, contributing to the drafting of the party’s chargesheet against the BJP government, helping prepare the Goa Assembly Election Manifesto, composing two Konkani campaign songs and coordinating the “Pledge of Loyalty” programme at Dona Paula attended by Rahul Gandhi.
In the letter, Pai Cacode posed seven questions to the party leadership. These related to the absence of a second line of leadership in Goa, the repeated promotion of individuals despite organisational and electoral setbacks, the non-reconstitution of the Political Affairs Committee since November 2022, the future political direction of the Congress in Velim and Benaulim, the alleged presence of RSS ideological sleeper cells within the Goa unit, the appointment of a builder-cum-businessman as GPCC Treasurer and what he described as a growing tendency within the party to celebrate the success of other political parties rather than strengthening its own grassroots organisation.
Pai Cacode said the Congress has survived for more than 140 years because of the sacrifices and loyalty of ordinary workers and expressed hope that Venugopal’s visit to Goa would provide an opportunity for honest introspection and meaningful organisational reforms.
He appealed to the AICC leadership to listen to the voices of committed party workers and restore internal democracy, merit-based leadership, accountability and respect for loyalty in the interest of revitalising the Congress in Goa.