KPCC Prez off to Goa to protect potential MLAs

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

The All lndia Congress Committee (AICC) has asked ‘master strategist’ and KPCC President D.K.Shivakumar to rush to Goa and keep Assembly poll candidates with good victory prospects in safe places following the exit poll prediction about the Congress standing a bright chance of coming to power in the coastal state.

The counting of votes for the Legislative Assembly polls in five states including Goa will take place on March 10. According to sources, Shivakumar reportedly got a call from AICC leaders who directed him to immediately rush to Goa to take care of the MLAs who are sure of their victory in the Assembly polls.

Various agencies and media houses have predicted that the Congress and its alliance partner will emerge as the single largest combination in the 40-member House. The Congress top brass in Delhi has a lot of faith in Shivakumar and his ability to safeguard l aw m a ke r s f ro m poaching by other parties.

A few years ago, the AICC had asked Shivakumar to keep Congress MLAs of Gujarat in a safe place in Karnatak a following reports of poaching by the BJP to win the Council polls in that state. After getting information on this, then AICC President Rahul Gandhi had asked Shivakumar to take care of the Gujarat Congress members till the Council polls were over.

The MLAs were brought to a resort in Ramanagara district from Bengaluru Airport under tight police sec u r i t y and kept there for over 10 days. They were escorted back to Gujarat just a few days before the Council polls.

Now with the Congress hopeful of retuning to power in Goa, the party has deputed Shivakumar to keep the MLA candidates in a safe place and beyond the reach of the ruling BJP. As per these directions, the KPCC President has already left for Goa and will stay there till the Assembly results are announced and the new government is formed.

The Congress candidates are expected to be kept in a posh hotel and guarded by Congress leaders to prevent anyone from meeting them. The next three days would be very vital for the Congress as the verdict of the Goans would reveal whether they have voted for the Congress or the ruling BJP.