Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday held a review meeting with senior members of the party in Goa to discuss post-poll strategies ahead of the counting day on March 10. Voting for the 40-member Goa assembly was held on February 14.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) desk in-charge of Goa, Dinesh Gundu Rao, with leader of opposition Digambar Kamat, and state Congress president Girish Chodankar briefed Gandhi over the “election scenario” and discussed strategies.
“Rahul Gandhi reviewed the political situation in Goa and discussed strategies for the post-election scenario with us. Along with [Congress general secretary ] KC Venugopal and senior poll observer for Goa P Chidambaram, I attended the meeting in Delhi,” Gundu Rao said in a tweet after the meeting.
Kamat said it was a “strategic meeting”. “When Goa wins, India wins. Congress is all set to win people’s mandate and form a people-friendly government,” he tweeted after the meeting.
The Congress is upbeat about its chances to form the government and wants to ensure there is no repeat of the debacle of 2017, when the party despite emerging as the single largest party, lost out to the BJP, which formed a coalition government with the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).
Earlier, Congress leader Michael Lobo called on Venugopal at New Delhi.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, Congress leader Michael Lobo called on Venugopal at New Delhi.
{{/usCountry}}Lobo told the media that he “had a fruitful interaction with Venugopal about the post-election scenario and government formation”.
He also said that leaders of other parties in Goa are in touch with Congress over a possible coalition after the election results.
“The Congress candidates who become MLAs will not split. We will give a good government. By 3pm results will be out, and by 5pm the Congress will stake claim to form the government,” Lobo said.
“People from other parties are in touch with us. They have told us that they do not want to go to the other side. Not a single independent or from the MGP will not join the BJP. They (BJP) have tried to destroy the MGP on two occasions,” he added.
The BJP, meanwhile sounded confident of forming the government again in the coastal state.
“What the Congress does is up to them. We are confident of forming the government after the polls on our own. There is nothing to discuss with anyone,” Goa BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade said.