With senior leader Rahul Gandhi in attendance, 37 election candidates of the Congress party and three from their alliance partner, Goa Forward Party (GFP), swore loyalty to their parties and pledged not to defect after being elected to the legislative assembly in the upcoming poll on February 14.
Thirty-six Congress candidates had already been administered an oath by priests in a temple, church and a Dargah on January 22.
While the first pledge was taken with God as witness, the pledge of loyalty, taken on Friday, was on an affidavit that Congress candidates were to hand over to Gandhi who would then take them to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The loyalty pledge was taken by the 40 candidates at the International Centre in Dona Paula, Panaji.
Led by former chief minister Digambar Kamat, the Congress candidate from his bastion of Margao, the election candidates swore by the Constitution of India. Taken in Konkani language, they stated in their pledge of loyalty that if elected to the legislative assembly from the Congress party in 2022, in their five-year term as legislators they will: complete their five- year term according to the rules laid down in the Constitution of India as an MLA of the Congress party; pledge loyalty to the Congress party and serve the people honestly; absolutely not defect to another party; not resign as an MLA and join another party and, will not contest election from any other party.
“The Congress-Goa Forward Party government will work together for the people and I will be bound to it,” the election candidates said in their pledge.
Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai also took the pledge swearing by the Constitution of India with his two party colleagues after the Congress candidates.
Besides Gandhi, Congress MP and AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal, Congress’s senior election observer P Chidambaram, AICC Goa Desk incharge Dinesh Gundu Rao, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar and Congress MP from South Goa Francisco Sardinha were also present at the event held Friday afternoon.
Gandhi, who arrived in Goa on Friday morning, also campaigned door-to-door in Sada in Mormugao assembly constituency. GPCC Vice President Sankalp Amonkar is the party’s candidate from Mormugao – a BJP stronghold that former minister Milind Naik has held for three terms.
Watch | Gandhi, who arrived in #Goa on Friday morning, also campaigned door-to-door in Sada in Mormugao assembly constituency. GPCC Vice President Sankalp Amonkar is the party’s candidate from Mormugao.https://t.co/TTVcAumyqs pic.twitter.com/VsJDBtwzmt
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) February 4, 2022
Naik resigned from ministership following allegations of a ‘sex scandal’ which was exposed by Amonkar and Chodankar in December. He was, however, given an election ticket by the BJP for the fourth time to contest from Mormugao assembly constituency.