Frankly, Chidambaram did not make any tall promises to revive the party in the State, which has been struggling ever since it snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in 2027. The central leader, appointed Goa desk in-charge by the Gandhis, had no immediate remedies for success and bringing about a discipline in the age-old party.
He said he did not come here for appointing a new leadership or deciding on the alliances. He also hinted that Congress will work in all 40 constituencies. With elections just four months away, one wonders if the Congress leader was not here to resolve the critical issues; what was he here for?
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
The former Union Minister and one of the tall Congress leaders P Chidambaram, was in Goa for a two-day visit to put the crumbling Congress House in order.
He had several rounds of meetings with MLAs, workers and aspiring candidates. He seems to have persuaded the former Panaji Mayors Uday Madkaikar and Tony Fernandes to join the Congress. However, that was it for the PC’s first visit to Goa. He rebooted the Congress, but we have to see whether teh Central Processing Unit (CPU) of the Congress in Goa supports and works in directions.
Frankly, Chidambaram did not make any tall promises to revive the party in the State, which has been struggling ever since it snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in 2027. The central leader, appointed Goa desk in-charge by the Gandhis, had no immediate remedies for success and bringing about a discipline in the age-old party.
He said he did not come here for appointing a new leadership or deciding on the alliances. He also hinted that Congress will work in all 40 constituencies. With elections just four months away, one wonders if the Congress leader was not here to resolve the critical issues; what was he here for?
The Vijai Sardessai’s Goa Forward Party has been pleading with both hands for an alliance to defeat the BJP and the PC; in his own style says, “that is not the mandate for my visit in Goa today”.
Well, what would one say after the press conference of Mr Chidambaram.
He only seems to be banking on the anti-incumbency factor against the BJP in Goa. He had no measures to revive the party or bring some good news to the party supporters.
Chidambaram should have known that teh BJP, with just 13 seats, managed to form the government in 2017. So the target this time should be to bring teh BJPs number to a single digit.
If teh BJP crosses double-digit again, trust me, they will go to the treasury Benches, and Congress will have to take a beating once again.
In politics, egos do not matter; a strategy to defeat the Opposition at their own game matters.
The least the Congress supporters expected was an end to the presidentship issue. Who will lead the party into the 2022 elections? Will it be Girish Chodankar or somebody else?
Chidambaram neither accepted or rejected whether there would be any leadership change.
The least he could do is say that Girish would be retained or say we will appoint a new president as it would have settled teh issue and boosted the morale of the Congress workers.
Right now, the supporters and workers have no clarity on how to go about it. Can we imagine that Congress is still grappling with leadership change even four months before the elections are announced?
Senior leaders like Digambar kamat, Luizinho Faleiro and Francisco Sardinha are all fighting for the coveted post.
Who will bell these cats? The Congress needs a strong leader who can control them, and one opines Chidambaram was appointed here for the same purpose, but on the visit, he failed to convince us he can lead Congress to victory except for his tall promises on mining and other issues.
