TMC’s political strategists, including Prashant Kishor’s I-PAC spreading venom, creating confusion in Goa

PANAJI: So-called political strategists from Prashant Kishor’s I-PAC, allegedly working for the Trinamool Congress, who have been campaigning in Goa for the last few weeks, are spreading venom and creating a lot of confusion in Goa, asserted a senior Congress leader.

The same view was shared by a BJP leader from North Goa in the coastal state, who said that the TMC’s reps were behaving like “pimps”, making indecent offers to BJP leaders, offering money and other illegit favors.

According to an IANS report, a former Congress MLA Agnelo Fernandes of Calangute on Tuesday said that he had received feelers from the TMC over the last few days.

“I have been with the Congress through thick and thin. Feelers have been sent to us, saying Congress wants to take (Ports Minister Michael Lobo) Michael, why are you with the Congress? But I refused to participate in such a conversation,” Fernandes told IANS on Tuesday.

Another sitting Congress MLA from South Goa was also approached by the TMC’s “dalals and agents” to quit the Congress and join the TMC.

Reports about the Trinamool Congress’ possible foray in the Goa polls come at a time when a several member-strong team of I-PAC, a political lobbying agency headed by political strategist Prashant Kishor has been in Goa for the last couple of weeks to assess the political ground reality in the poll-bound state, IANS said.

The team has been meeting politicians, journalists, social activists, businessmen and a cross section of the state’s population.

A section of the local Goa media including websites mentioned the name of former two-time Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro, as one of the potential targets for Mamata Banerjee’s party.

Responding to the reports, Faleiro told IANS: “Lot of people are doing surveys. They are meeting all the leaders”.

Either the TMC is serious about contesting polls in Goa and it should make it’s intention clear, or its agents should stop trying to pimp their way in, the North Goa BJP leader said.