Panaji: In the wake of humiliating defeat in
Goa elections, Congress leaders here have started blame-game,
with outgoing PWD minister Churchill Alemao alleging that
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat had worked against him.
"Kamat had worked against me. He is one of the reasons
why I was defeated," said Alemao, who along with three of his
family members lost in the March 3 polls.
Alemao also claimed that rigging of EVMs and Catholic
priests appealing people to vote against Congress were the
reasons for his defeat.
"Almost 80 per cent of Catholic priests worked against
Congress. They worked for BJP," Churchill said yesterday.
Alemao who contested from Navelim, his brother and urban
development minister Joaquim Alemao(Cuncolim), his daughter
Valanka (Benaulim)and nephew Yuri Sanguem) lost the elections.
Outgoing Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, who has come in
line of fire following the defeat, said that things would have
been different if the party were to fight elections under his
leadership.
"Party did not project me as CM. People might have
thought that I was being sidelined," he said while pointing
out that Congress had not lost a single election fought in Goa
during the last five years, under his leadership.
Vishwajit Rane, outgoing health minister, who along with
his father Pratapsingh Rane got elected, said that the leaders
should take collective responsibility for the defeat.
"It was the responsibility of individual candidates to
ensure that they win in their own constituencies," he said
vaguely referring to Alemao's statement.
Meanwhile, the Congress party has decided to introspect
and formed a committee for the purpose.
"We will form a committee that will go into all the
aspects," said P Sudhakar Reddy, Secretary, All India Congress
Committee.
Reddy, who is down in Goa holding discussion with the
party leaders, said that he would make a constituency-wise
report.
He also ruled out that defeat was because the party had
given tickets to many family members of the leaders.
"Out of five families, three of them have got elected,"
Reddy pointed out.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, March 08, 2012, 13:57