PANAJI: Senior AICC election observer and former union finance minister P Chidambaram arrived in Goa on Friday for this second official visit and held meetings with the nine newly-appointed block presidents and the Saligao block workers.
During the meeting, Congress workers informed Chidambaram that the party should contest the coming elections on its own might.
“The main refrain was that the workers are confident of winning the Saligao seat and they do not require any alliance with any party,” said Congress spokesperson Tulio De Souza.
Chidambaram, along with Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao, opposition leader Digambar Kamat and state party president Girish Chodankar were present for the meeting, which was held at a hotel in Verem.
“Congress has been victims all over Goa because of defections, so the ticket should go to a loyal Congress worker,” said De Souza.
Earlier, Chidambaram met with the nine block presidents, including Saligao block president Atul Naik, to prepare a strategy for rebuilding the party at the block and booth level. The nine block presidents were reappointed on August 31.
On Sunday, Chidambaram will participate in the two-day National Executive Committee meeting of the Indian Youth Congress. Indian Youth Congress national president B V Srinivas, and AICC secretary Krishna Alavaru, who is the National Youth Congress incharge, will be present for the meeting. The two-day meeting aims to chalk out strategies to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Rao, Chodankar, Kamat and Congress working president Aleixo Sequeira are expected to participate in the meeting.
“I am confident that the arrival of national leader will surely give a huge boost to the youth Congress workers in Goa and will motivate them,” said state youth Congress president Varad Mardolkar.
