Goa elections: Miffed Congress hesitant to accept TMC’s offer of poll pact

TMC’s offer for a poll pact in the Goa assembly elections has found little favour with the Congress.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) party’s offer for a poll pact in the Goa assembly elections has found little favour with the Congress, whose high command is miffed with TMC brass for its recent anti-Congress rants that led a war of words on social media.

A Congress strategist claimed that party president Sonia Gandhi was ‘extremely upset’ to see TMC poaching Congress lawmakers and making anti-Congress statements. The party is hesitant to accept TMC’s offer of poll pact ahead of assembly elections in Goa. (File)

Initial discussions were held between top leaders of the two parties, and Trinamool wanted a seat arrangement with the Congress for the state polls due on February 14, key functionaries from both parties maintained.

“We were ready to give the Congress even up to 16-18 seats in Goa,” a senior TMC leader said. “Our poll partner Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) had announced candidates in nine seats, and the Congress told us that it is in a strong position in one of MGP’s seats. We even assured them that we would talk MGP to give up that seat for the Congress.”

The talks also involved a possible seat-sharing agreement in which the TMC, keen on a pact to take on the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party, were ready to give the Congress the majority of seats.

“We initially maintained that both Congress and TMC have nearly same tally in Goa assembly and both sides can fight in equal number of seats,” the TMC leader said. “But then we have communicated that given the Congress’ long presence in Goa, we are ready to give more seats. But they didn’t show any further interest.”

Two senior Congress leaders underlined several factors behind the party’s unwillingness to do business with TMC in Goa. “We are the principal opposition party in Goa, while TMC as a new entrant doesn’t have much to offer us. We are also not sure about TMC’s equation with the AAP (another new entrant) in Goa,” a Congress leader said.

Another pointed out that the Congress brass is miffed with the TMC’s top leadership for its unwarranted attacks on the Congress.

A third senior Congress strategist claimed that party president Sonia Gandhi was “extremely upset” to see TMC poaching Congress lawmakers and making anti-Congress statements. “Trinamool’s existence in Goa is based on MLAs poached from our party,” he said. “And it’s strange that they want to do a pact with us.”

On Monday, former finance minister P Chidambaram, Congress’ in-charge for the Goa polls, posted a series of tweets explaining the party’s stand vis-à-vis TMC.

“My assessment that the AAP (and the TMC) will only fracture the non-BJP vote in Goa has been confirmed by Mr Arvind Kejriwal. The contest in Goa is between Congress and BJP. Those who want a regime change (after 10 years of misrule) will vote for the Congress. Those who want the regime to continue will vote for the BJP,” Chidambaram tweeted.

The Congress’ response came two days after TMC’s Goa in-charge Mahua Moitra tweeted: “AITC serious about defeating BJP. Uninformed false bravado no substitute for rational thinking & maturity. Definitive offer between principals on table - waiting for revert. No desire to engage in further Twitter shadow boxing with various INC functionaries.”