Giving tickets to defectors shameful chapter of Goa Congress: Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said giving tickets to habitual defectors in Goa in the past was a shameful chapter of the Congress and assured party workers that it would not be repeated ever again.

Chidambaram, who was addressing party workers in Canacona Assembly constituency in South Goa, said he was shocked to learn that "a defector was given a ticket not once, not twice, but three times".

"This is a shameful chapter of Congress history. I have come to assure you the shameful chapter has now been closed. Never again will we repeat it," he said in the presence of the party's Goa desk in charge Dinesh Gundu Rao, state unit chief Girish Chodankar and Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat among others.

While he did not take names, he may have been indirectly referring to Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes, who was elected to the Assembly on a Congress ticket in 2017 but crossed over to the ruling BJP in 2019.

Chidambaram said the challenge before the Goa Congress was to redeem its reputation and honour in the coastal state.

He said Congress workers have been totally loyal and have worked very hard to ensure poll victories, but, unfortunately, the winning candidate betrayed the party.

"The party will not impose candidates. You (workers) will recommend the candidate. That is why we are identifying active members who will decide on the candidate, he added.