Margao: State Congress president Girish Chodankar on Sunday accused BJP govt of fooling the Scheduled Tribe (ST) people over political reservation, saying the party was never sympathetic to the cause of STs and was not at all desirous of reserving assembly seats for the community in the 2027 elections.Addressing reporters in Panaji, Chodankar said BJP has always been opposed to the Bahujan Samaj— be it the STs, SCs or OBCs. He said BJP insulted the tribal community when it rewarded Digambar Kamat — under whose watch as chief minister two tribals died during the 2011 Balli agitation — with the plum PWD portfolio after he defected from Congress, while dropping tribal leader Govind Gaude from the Pramod Sawant-led cabinet.Responding to a query on the possibility of Congress MLAs defecting to BJP again after the elections, the state Congress president said the party had now been cleansed of all such tendencies. “Congress has no such leaders left; we have only workers whom we will make MLAs in the new assembly. A new team has to be brought in,” Chodankar said.He further exuded confidence that the party will win all the assembly seats in Tiswadi taluka — Panaji, Taleigao, St Cruz, St Andre and Cumbarjua. He was responding to Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate’s claim that BJP will win the St Cruz seat this time.“Monserrate should first focus on retaining his Panaji and Taleigao seats. By saying that BJP will win the St Cruz seat by extending his family raj from Panaji and Taleigao to St Cruz, BJP should explain their stand on family raj, as in 2012 they were crying hoarse about family raj politics by Congress,” Chodankar said.On the Panaji seat, Chodankar said the party has adopted a different strategy, with the goal of defeating BJP there this time.He added that Congress will soon initiate talks with GFP, AAP and RG. “All efforts will be made to bring all the opposition parties together,” he said.
