New Delhi: Breaking silence on Mamata Banerjee-led party’s barbs over alliance talks in Goa, Congress veteran P Chidambaram on Sunday (January 23) said that Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) proposal was not considered as it "poached" Congress leaders in the state.


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"What I can say is that there was a suggestion from the TMC that we should form an alliance (in Goa). (But) Before and after that, certain incidents took place," PTI quoted the senior Congress leader as saying. 


He alleged that the TMC "poached" Congress leaders in Goa ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls."They poached Luizinho Faleiro, and even after the proposal of alliance, they poached Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, whose name was in the Congress's first list of the candidates. They also poached in other constituencies, like Mormugao and Vasco," Chidambaram added. 


He said that after these incidents, he did not get any instructions from the top Congress brass over TMC's alliance proposal.


Earlier on Thursday, TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had said that if the Congress fails to wrest power from the BJP in Goa, the Congress' state in-charge P Chidambaram should take the onus and resign. He had said the TMC had reached out to Chidambaram with a formal offer for pre-poll alliance, but nothing happened.


On CM's face in the state, Chidambaram said that Congress candidates in Goa will give their suggestions on whether to announce a chief ministerial candidate or not. "We will take views of the candidates once nomination process is over and then communicate it to AICC (All India Congress Committee)," the former Union minister said.


The TMC has tied up with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) in the coastal state, while Congress will be contest alongside the Goa Forward Party (GFP).


Goa will vote on February 14 to elect the 40-member Assembly. 


(With agency inputs)


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