Panaji: It is not hidden anymore that Congress party lacks unity. Since its downfall in 2012 elections, the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) and the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) is never been in sync and that is what left the party to be weakened. Though, the oldest national party managed to overcome people’s wrath in 2017 elections by winning 17 seats (later left with 16), its lack of internal difference is what is leading to its decline.
And this is something the newly appointed Congress President Girish Chodankar will have to focus on. There is nothing that prevents the new President from identifying the problem between the two wings of the party and working to bridge the gap. Though it looks little difficult, considering the fact that many in CLP are not very happy over appointment of Chodankar.
Further, it’s high and right time for the Congress to promote young leadership. There is nothing that prevents the Congress president from identifying powerful state-level young leaders and providing them with greater autonomy, so they see a future for themselves in the party.
It has been a long custom in any political party that a new President not only take over the reigns with fresh ideas but with a new core team. And Chodankar should not be an exception to that. In fact, his promotion in the party by INC President Rahul Gandhi is aimed towards upliftment of the party, with focus on forthcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
“One has to understand that the Congress has not weakened overnight. The decline of the party has been in process since 2011. Everyone in the party consider himself as the leader and that is where, we fall short of BJP, which you see is a much disciplined party,” a senior congressman, on request of anonymity told GNH.
“This was one of the reason why Congress failed to form the Government despite having 17 MLAs in hand and support of independents,” the leader said “if Congress has to overpower BJP, it will have to keep aside its individual egos and work as one”.
The congress leader has said it rightly. It was ego of Luizinho Faleiro that resisted him to have pre poll ties with Goa Forward Party (GFP) (coalition partners in BJP). Greed for Chief Minister chair amongst Faleiro, Pratapsingh Rane, Ravi Naik, Diagmber Kamat and Chandrakant Kavlekar- that left the party to sit in opposition once again.
If one recalls, since 2012, one has never seen GPCC and CLP leaders sharing common platform nor has both the wings stood in support of each other, when corned by the media persons. Within GPCC there is divide between the senior and the junior and the same is in case of CLP. The lack of synchronization is very much visible on the Floor of the House.
Chodankar has a millstone to reach to bridge the gap between GPCC and CLP- something with seniors like Luizinho Faleiro and Shantaram Naik failed to do.
