Congress to invite applications for Cortalim bypoll

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhash Shirodkar told PTI that the state unit will appeal to the hopefuls, keen to contest the byelection, to apply with their profiles.

"The names would be collected and sent to the party high command for final decision," he said.

Congress lost Cortalim seat in the March 3 Assembly polls to former tourism minister and BJP candidate Matanhy Saldhana.

The bypoll was necessitated following Saldanha's death soon after the elections.

According to unconfirmed reports, Congress's observer for Goa, Jagmit Singh Brar, would arrive in the state, apparently to expedite the process.

Shirodkar, however, said that he had no intimation about any such visit by Brar.

The byelection is crucial for congress which was decimated to single digit in the assembly elections by the combination of BJP and Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party (MGP) which went on to form its government.

BJP has tipped off Saldanha's wife, Alina, as their candidate for the bypoll.