Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar tests positive for Covid-19
Gomantak Times
Ahead of March 10 when votes polled during the Goa Assembly Elections are scheduled to be counted, Goa Congress unit President Girish Chodankar on Saturday accused the senior minister of BJP of offering money to its candidates and said it will prevent any poaching attempt.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Chodankar said, "They, Vishwajit (Health Minister Vishwajit Rane), Mauvin (Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho) and (Chief Minister) Pramod Sawant and their brokers have started poaching our candidates and giving offers. We are publicly warning, this is a new Congress. Not a single worker will keep quiet if such efforts continue to be made," Chodankar told reporters.
He said "nobody will be able to save" Congress MLAs from the ire of the voters, if they decide to switch over or defect to the BJP after being formally elected.
"We are ready to take steps and this is a warning. Don't take the people for granted. If any MLA tries to bring the BJP back to power and what will happen to that MLA, nobody will be able to save them," Chodankar said.
He also alleged differences in the BJP camp, claiming infighting had broken out in its camp over who would be the chief minister.
"Mauvin is going out with offers saying he will be CM. Rane says he will be CM and is approaching people," Chodankar said.
"People of Goa will also not keep quiet. This entire election was about defections. They will be responsible and they should realise this is a new Congress and our cadre will not keep quiet and neither will the people of Goa," Chodankar also said.
Congress also disassociated himself from South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha comments regarding former late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, saying tha party does not endorse his statements.
"Those are his personal statements and our party does not support those statements," Chodankar said.
Earlier, Speaking at a public meeting in the Curchorem constituency in presence of Rahul Gandhi, Sardinha had said that "People in old age want a pain free death. But Parrikar got a painful death with tubes in his nose etc. God gave him a punishment because he was a liar."
In the 2017 state assembly polls, the BJP had managed to string together a coalition and form a government, despite the Congress emerging as the single largest party. From 2017-22, 15 out of 17 Congress MLAs switched over to other parties, with most of them joining the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.