Congress has cautioned the state units to keep a vigil on BJP
New Delhi : The Congress on Saturday asked its state units in Goa and Manipur to stake claim to form the government as it emerged as the largest single party in the elections.
Since it does not have a clear majority in either state, it cautioned the state units to keep a vigil on the BJP bribing the small parties and independents to muster their numbers.
The party is four short of a majority in Goa as it has won 17 seats as against BJP’s 13 in the 40-member House, it is 3 short in the 60-member Manipur Assembly.
Its big concern is that the BJP that had no presence in the state so far has won 22 seats, including one gone to ally Lok Janshakti Party, and it can upstage the Congress by befriending the regional National People’s Party and the Naga Peoples Front that have won four seats each.
The party has also sent feelers to Goa’s former CM Churchill Alemao, who has won a single seat as a NCP candidate. Churchill has been in and out of the Congress and he has also flirted with the BJP for a while and hence the leadership is careful in dealing with him.
Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh will be working on the Goa Forward Party which has won three seats, but he also got feelers from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party as its president Dhawalikar lost the election this time and three elected on its ticket may not like to be the part of another BJP government.
