Goa Congress to ban re-entry of party deserters

PANAJI: The Goa Congress will adopt a resolution banning leaders from re-entering the party after they leave the organisation.

"The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) will adopt a resolution which will ban the leaders who leave the party and try to join back after the elections," party's state unit chief John Fernandes told PTI here today.

The party is currently facing a rebellion in the form of senior Congressman Churchill Alemao threatening to leave, after his daughter Valanka was denied ticket for South Goa Lok Sabha seat.

Alemao had set a deadline till today evening for the party leaders to withdraw the candidature of Aleix Reginaldo Lourenco and give it to either sitting Member of Parliament Francisco Sardinha or Valanka.

Fernandes said the party high command has asked the local leaders to go soft on Alemao, who has a history of leaving the party and joining back.

"PCC is thinking to adopt a resolution which will permanently block the leaders from re-entering," he said, adding that the current utterances of Alemao were a part of "election fever which will die down soon".

Congress had announced Lourenco as its candidate from South Goa and Ravi Naik from North Goa.