Panaji: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar on Sunday said the Congress is open to welcoming new entrants into the party but will not re-induct leaders who had defected to other political outfits.
Addressing a press conference in the presence of AICC Goa desk co-incharge Anjali Nimbalkar and Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee president Dr Pratiksha Khalap, Chodankar said the party was keen to strengthen its organisation by inducting people committed to fighting the BJP.
“We welcome those who genuinely wish to join the Congress and strengthen the fight against the BJP. However, defectors who have left the party will not be taken back,” he said.
Chodankar also asserted that the Congress’ alliance with the Goa Forward Party remained intact and said the opposition alliance would continue with the Congress taking the lead.
He said the party was also committed to increasing women’s participation in politics and was prepared to reserve up to 50 per cent of electoral opportunities for women, wherever feasible.
“Wherever strong women leaders come forward, we are ready to go beyond the existing 30 per cent reservation and provide up to 50 per cent reservation to women,” Chodankar said.
He said the Congress wanted to encourage greater representation of women in public life and would ensure deserving women candidates received opportunities to contest elections.
The announcements come as the Congress steps up organisational activities in Goa ahead of the upcoming electoral cycle, with the party focusing on expanding its base while projecting itself as the principal opposition to the BJP in the state.
The Congress party had a group of its ten MLAs leaving to join BJP in the year 2019 and post-2022 Assembly election, another group of eight MLAs had quit the party to join BJP.
