Goa NCP chief's appointment put on hold

NCP's new Goa unit chief Suhas Valavaikar on Tuesday said his appointment has been put on hold by the party's top brass due to opposition from the state executive committee.

Addressing a press conference at the party's state headquarters here, Valavaikar also said that the Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) senior national vice president Praful Patel would arrive in Goa over the weekend and resolve the deadlock between the two groups.

"I was appointed as state president on April 8. But I was informed by Patelji late on Monday night that my appointment had been kept on hold because of opposition from some of the local leaders," he said.

On Monday, top office bearers of the state's NCP unit raised a flag of rebellion threatening to quit the party over the appointment of Valavaikar, whom they claimed nobody in the party had even met.

Top state leaders including party general secretary, senior vice president and other leaders had also sought the intervention of the party high command to resolve the matter, even suggesting that the appointment had been "purchased" by Valavaikar.

Valavaikar on Tuesday however rejected allegations that money had been exchanged with any senior party leader for the appointment.

"I will make myself clear that no money has been paid," he said.