Sonia revamps Goa Congress

Rane, who was the Congress chief minister for several terms, was ousted last year when deputy chief minister Wilfred D8217;Souza broke away with his supporters to form a government backed by the Bhartiya Janata Party and regional parties.

The Congress high command has, in a bid to stifle dissidence in the party, appointed faction leader Churchill Alemao as convenor of the election committee. Congress Members of Parliament from Goa, RaviNaik and Fransisco Sardinha, have been appointed campaign manager and deputy campaign manager respectively.

Sources say the office-bearers8217; functions are yet to be detailed, though the list of candidates will be cleared by the party high command.

The shake-up in the Goa Pradesh Congress has, however, left former deputy chief minister Dayanand Narvekar out in the cold. Narvekar, who was deputy chief minister under D8217;Souza and Faleiro, is viewed with suspicion by Congress leaders for constantly defecting from one party to another. He may be denied a Congress ticket.

In the past few weeks, all the top leaders of the party have been inducting followers from rival parties into the national party. There are now multiple candidates for a party ticket in nearly 15 seats. Infighting will therefore continue.