Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar resigns after poll debacle

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar on Tuesday tendered resignation from the post after taking moral responsibility for his party's poor performance in the recently concluded state Assembly elections.

The state Congress chief was leading the party during the recently concluded Goa elections where Congress managed to win 11 seats and its ally Goa Forward Party secured one seat, while the BJP emerged as the single largest party by bagging 20 seats.

All India Congress Committee's Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday that Chodankar has sent his resignation to the AICC.

Earlier, after the poll results were declared last Thursday, Chodankar had offered to quit while accepting moral responsibility for his party's poor show. Sources in the Congress said Chodankar's resignation will be accepted and a new face will replace him.

Leaders like Sankalp Amonkar, Aleixo Sequeira and Elvis Gomes are front-runners for the post. Amonkar and Sequeira won the recent Assembly polls, while Gomes, a former bureaucrat, lost the election from Panaji Assembly seat.

According to sources, the high command also give the top job senior Congress leader Digambar Kamat, who won the poll Margao Assembly seat, for the top party post in the coastal state.