Goa Congress appeals workers who left party to return

PANAJI: In a bid to strengthen its base ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Goa Congress today appealed to workers who had left the party to come back. Fernandes said he was informed that seven Congressmen had earlier left the party and are now BJP legislators.

"I appeal all Congressmen who have left the party to join back. These legislators can also be welcomed provided they apply for the membership by resigning there," he told PTI.

The Congress party is in the process of reviving the local unit ahead of Lok Sabha polls. The party has already replaced its state president by dethroning Subhash Shirodkar and replacing him with John Fernandes, the two-time Rajya Sabha MP.

Fernandes said Congress does not intend to topple the Manohar Parrikar government as the party has not received people's mandate during the last Assembly election.

"Congress will not sit in the government," he said, refusing to elaborate on what could be the situation if all the seven legislators resign from BJP and join the party.

"I can't discuss the modalities but we are ready to accept all the Congressmen back," he said.

The Congress party was reduced to single digit during the last state polls which saw BJP winning the majority seats. Responding to a question, Fernandes said the party high command is "thinking over the demand to replace leader of opposition Pratapsingh Rane."

"The high command is aware of the demand and thinking over it," he said.

A group of Congress legislators had lobbied against Rane demanding that he be replaced with another leader as "the former chief minister was not able to provide formidable opposition for the BJP."