The selection of candidates will be based on loyalty, integrity and acceptability to workers and the 'sad chapter of 2017' will not be repeated in 2022, former union minister and AICC observer for Goa, P Chidambaram said on Friday.
The Senior Congress leader was addressing a meeting of the Calangute Congress block committee at Candolim. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar, leader of opposition Digambar Kamat, general secretary and former Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes, Congress working president Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and other party workers were also present at the meeting.
Speaking at the gathering, Chidambaram said, "Let me apologise for what happened in 2017. You and the people of Goa voted to form the Congress government. Unfortunately, our MLAs betrayed the party.”
"Workers stood for the party, MLAs went in search of pastures. That the Congress leadership could not avert the avert the situation in 2017, is a matter of deep regret. The Congress party has big plans for Calangute and it is the determination of the party seniors to make this plan a reality for the benefit of the people of Calangute," Chidambaram said.
Responding to media queries about reports of Micheal Lobo joining the Congress party, Chidambaram said he is not aware who the local MLA is and who the minister and he only know about Congress functionaries.
According to sources, former MLA Agnelo Fernandes, former Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira and Anthony Menezes, who are keen to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections from the Calangute constituency, have been advised by their superiors to start door-to-door campaigning from Monday.