MARGAO
In a massive show of unity ahead of the May 7 election for the South Goa Lok Sabha seat, leaders of opposition parties as well as candidates who had contested against Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai in Fatorda in the 2022 Assembly polls came under the platform of INDIA bloc in support of candidate Capt Viriato Fernandes on Sunday.
Even as the Goa Forward chief has vowed to give a comfortable lead to the Congress candidate in Fatorda, Capt Viriato said the Goa Forward boss is firmly in control of the ground situation in the constituency, exuding confidence of putting up a good show in Fatorda.
Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) candidate Adv Seoula Vaz and Aam Aadmi Party candidate Sandesh Talekar not only shared the dais of the meeting of workers called by the Goa Forward party chief, but gave a call to the people of Fatorda to unite and rally behind Capt Viriato Fernandes.
Besides Capt Viriato, top brass of the INDIA bloc including GPCC chief Amit Patkar, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Congress South Goa coordinator, MLA Altone D’Costa and AAP Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas all descended at Fatorda to address the workers meeting convened by the Goa Forward.
In his address, Sardesai said he has invited both Adv Seoula and Sandesh Talekar for the meeting so that the opposition takes on the BJP unit unitedly. “Both Adv Seoula and Sandesh Talekar had contested against me in the 2022 election. We have come on a single platform with a one-point agenda to work unitedly for Capt Viriato,” he said.
Saying that the question of holding ward-wise corner meetings in Fatorda will be decided after taking the workers into confidence, Sardesai, however, announced that Capt Viriato will get a comfortable lead from the constituency in the May 7 election. “We will take a call on holding corner meetings in Fatorda since we want to enter Margao Assembly segment in support of Capt Viriato,” Sardesai said.
Earlier, the Goa Forward State Executive Meeting held at Goemkar Ghor resolved to support INDIA bloc candidates in both North and South Goa.
After Fatorda meeting, Alliance now plans padayatra in Margao
MARGAO: After the impressive meeting in Fatorda on Sunday in support of Capt Viriato Fernandes, the INDIA bloc will now enter Margao in a big way by holding a padayatra from the Margao Municipal building to the St Sebastian Chapel at Aquem.
Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai along with Congress and Alliance leaders will descend in Margao and participate in the padayatra to drum up support for the Congress candidate.
In his address of party workers at Fatorda on Sunday, the Goa Forward chief said that Capt Viriato will take a comfortable lead in Fatorda and that the alliance would take the battle into Margao as well.
