Panaji: The Dakshinayan Abhiyan, an all India movement for freedom of expression by writers and rationalists, is leaving no stone unturned to back the candidature of lawyer Cleofato Coutinho on Congress ticket for South Goa.
The meeting between Dakshinayan’s think tank in Hubballi, Karnataka away from Goa with Rahul Gandhi, has sparked several speculations.
While Congress in Goa was busy praising civil society groups for meeting its President Rahul Gandhi in Goa, the INC twitter handler sprung surprise for many.
INCIndia twitter handle wrote: Congress President @RahulGandhi had a engaging discussion with members of civil society in Hubballi, Karnataka. #NammaRahulGandhi.
What was striking was that twitter carried a picture of Advocate Cleofato Coutinho and Datta Damodar Naik, both belonging to the think-tank ‘Dakshinayan.’
Coutinho has been trying his luck to contest from South Goa Lok Sabha seat on Congress ticket, where he is pitted against Francis Sardinha, Pratima Coutinho and party’s local unit chief Girish Chodankar, who has put his claim.
Interestingly, the rumour mill in Congress party was abuzz with discussions about Coutinho lobbying for the ticket as he could have very well met Gandhi in Goa but preferred to travel miles to meet him in Hubballi.
There are also apprehensions that both the leaders had tried to have secret meeting with Gandhi but the official twitter handler goofed up, beaming their picture.
When contacted, Coutinho confirmed his presence for the meeting but claimed that the visit was not for lobbying.
“It had nothing to do with my ticket. It was Dakshinayan’s meeting with Congress party. They will be opposing BJP and it may amount to supporting Congress,” he said.
Political experts read the visit as a “pressure tactics” by Dakshinayan to get support to their fellow thinker. Dakshinayan has impressive line up of the leaders who are part of it, and have been always vocal on various national issues.
