Cong to support Wilfred D'souza

Declaring "full support" to the candidature of NCP state President Wilfred D'souza for the north Goa seat, Congress in Goa.

Declaring "full support" to the candidature of NCP state President Wilfred D'souza for the north Goa seat, Congress in Goa on Thursday said it would fight the election with sole purpose of defeating BJP in the state.

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At a joint press conference of D'souza and Congress leaders, GPCC President Luisinho Faleiro said "the fact that both candidates put up by the alliance were from a minority community would not affect its prospects as Goa was a secular society."

"I have just had a meeting with all the north Goa MLAs and they have assured me that they will extend their full support to the NCP," Faleiro said, in what was the party's first reaction after D'souza was named as candidate from Panaji constituency two days ago.

While Congress sources indicated that there was frantic lobbying till the last minute to project former CM Ravi Naik as the party's candidate in north Goa against Union Minister Sripad Naik of BJP, Faleiro himself denied any such move.

"It was the decision taken at the very highest level by both the parties to give the seat to NCP and we will ensure that it is obeyed down to the grassroot level," Faleiro said.

The BJP has already made public that both sitting MPs Sripad Naik and Ramakant Angle would contest elections, while the Congress had declared Churchil Alemao as its south Goa candidate.