Benaulim ZP polls: Rebellion brews among residents, even as Cong, AAP leaders meet

BENAULIM: Local leaders of the Congress and AAP met secretly on Friday evening and discussed the Benaulim ZP by-polls to be held later this month. The meeting took place after Congress Goa desk in-charge Manikrao Thakare said the Congress favors continuance of the INDIA alliance in the State.

While one group within the Congress is in favor of continuing the alliance with the AAP post the Lok Sabha polls and in accordance with coalition dharma wants to leave the Benaulim ZP seat to the AAP, another group led by youth leader and social worker Warren Alemao wants the Congress to go alone for the ZP polls. There is a similar rebel lot in the Benaulim AAP unit which does not want to bed with the Congress for the ZP polls.

Congress sources said any decision by the Congress to contest the Benaulim by-poll alone may send a wrong signal to the other opposition parties that the Congress only wanted their support for the recently-held LS polls.

“The party is cautious because any decision to field a candidate in Benaulim merely days after the Lok Sabha polls could be seen as unethical by the Alliance members,” said a senior South Goa Congress leader, adding that elections are due in Maharasthra for the State Assembly polls in about four months and the INDIA alliance would like to present a combined opposition to the BJP-led NDA alliance in the neighbouring state. Similarly, in Maharashtra polls to several Municipal Corporations and other Municipal and local bodies are long overdue and may by held by the end of this year and a combined opposition will be required if the BJP is to be kept at bay.

The Goa leadership will hold consultations and seek inputs of the Benaulim Congress leaders and workers before taking a final decision in a day or two. The Congress in Benaulim seems to be divided with one group wanting to continue the alliance, while the group led by Warren Alemao wanting to go it alone.

Alemao who has been working very aggressively in Benaulim for the last several months is confident of winning the Benaulim ZP by-polls without the help of any other party.

“The Congress leadership will clear the party’s stand on the Benaulim by-poll issue before the Lok Sabha election results on June 4,” said another party leader.

By-polls for the Benaulim Zilla Panchayat were announced following the disqualification of Aam Aadmi Party member Hanzel Fernandes after his caste certificate was declared null and void by the High Court on technical reasons.

Meanwhile, Warren Alemao who is the cousin of Congress LoP Yuri Alemao, on Friday opposed any alliance for the Benaulim ZP by-polls on the grounds that the AAP Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas and the AAP ZP member Hanzel Fernandes have done nothing for the constituency.

“The Congress must regain lost ground in the constituencies of Benaulim, Nuvem, Velim and Navelim which were its traditional strongholds. In order to keep its soul alive in Benaulim, the Congress must go solo and not give up the ZP seat to the AAP,” Warren said.

He also warned that a front will be formed in Benaulim to take on the AAP, if the Congress does not field its own candidate for the ensuing by-poll.

In fact, Warren told the media that he is ready to work and make sure the Congress candidate is the next ZP representative of Benaulim constituency, if the Congress party decides to put up its own candidate.

“We do not need an alliance for ZP elections and that’s the opinion of the people of Benaulim as the AAP MLA and AAP ZP representative have done zero development in the Benaulim constituency. We are waiting for the Congress party to decide if they want their soul to remain in Benaulim otherwise a front will be created and will start working in Benaulim,” he said in a written statement on Friday.