Congress bursting with CM hopefuls
By Herald Reporter
PANJIM, June 3, 2005 - Pratapsing Rane, Luizinho Faleiro and Ravi Naik will be the main contenders for the chief ministerial post in the event the Congress has the requisite numbers to form the next government, sources in the party said
Whichever party manages to get 20 seats along with their allies will be able to form the next government. Though BJP may struggle to have 20 on their side, there is no dispute over the leadership issue; it will be none other Manohar Parrikar who is BJP's chief ministerial candidate.
Smelling victory, the All INdia Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Margaret Alva yesterday mentioned that the sitting MLAs of the Congress as well as those who will be elected in the bye-elections, will meet on Sunday to elect their leader. Currently, Rane is the leader of the Congress legislture party (CLP).
Interestingly, the new president of Goa Pradesh Congress committee (GPCC) Ravi Naik, replying to a question at a press conference three days ago, said that the CLP leaderhsip issue would be deicded by the Congress high command.
As of now, the Congress High Command is likely to consider threee names - Rane, Luizinho Faleiro and Ravi, all former chief ministers, for the top post, sources said. Congress, as usual no dearth of "senior" leaders who think they are chief ministerial material. These include Dayanand Narvekar, Subhash Shirodkar and others.
Sources said that as is the case with all major parties, the views of the CLP will be considered before the leader is selected.
In February this year, when the Congress wilh its allies was allowed to form the government after the fall of Parrikar ministry, Pratapsing Rane was selected for the chief minister's post mainly because his candidature was inisited upon by the allies. This was done so because the alliance partners knew that Congress might find it very difficult to elect its leader due to the factionalsim within the party.
That time, the Congress-led alliance had formed what is called United Legislature Pary (ULP) which ironically hardly remained united after the President's rule was imposed. All its partners had said that ULP was no more in existence though the same leaders during the bye-elections didn't hesitate to say ULP is alive.
ULP when in power had 17 members - Congress (15), NCP (1) - Dr Wilfred de Souza and MGP (1) - Sudin Dhavlikar.
The MGP legislator who played an important role in the fall of Parrikar governmetn had retained in teh Rane cabient the same portfolios he held in the BJP government.
Dhavlikar who is known as a shrewd politician, has been approached by the BJP leaders for support in the event that the come close to forming the new government. Forgetting the charges of corruption Parrikar made against Dhavlikar in March, the BJP, it is learnt, is working on a deal with Dhavlikar. Whether Dhavlikar who proved his popularity in the zilla pacnhaayt elections defeating candidates of former Speaker Vishwas Satarkar in neighbouring Priol constsituency two months ago, will bite the bait is to be seen.
Dhavlikar, whose support to the Congress is vital, is lieky to insist on making Rane the chief minister again. This time, the decision may not entirely depend on the say of the allies, sources said addign that it would be a consesnsus of all the parties which align with the Congress.
Congress leaders however, are confident that Dhavlikar would stick with the Congress-led coalition.
Meanwhile, the BJP was analysing the polling in yesterday's crcial bye-elections and expressed confidence of winning three seats.
Meanwhile, the Congress spokesman Shantaram Naik has complained to the Election Commission of India that the joint chief electoral officer, Goa, S Patidar, didn't co-operate with the Congress party when polling was very slow on Thursday, sources in the party said. Naik had lambasted the officer for not looking into the genuine problem of slow polling in many booths yesterday.
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