K'taka effect: Cong begins Goa tour to put pressure on Guv

The Congress today launched a tour across Goa to highlight the BJP-led dispensation's "failures" and mount pressure on Governor Mridula Sinha to invite the opposition party to form government in the state.

Seeking adoption of the Karnataka example in Goa, the Congress earlier decided to stake claim to form government in the coastal state where it had emerged as the single largest party in the Assembly polls held last year.

The party plans to conduct a statewide tour and continue the agitation till the governor does not dismiss the current Manohar Parrikar government, All India Congress Committee secretary Dr A Chellakumar said today.

The Congress leaders kicked off the tour, titled 'Jana Gana Mana, Nomon Tuka Goemkara' (Jana Gana Mana, we salute the Goans), from Panaji and they would travel to all the 40 Assembly constituencies in the state, he said.

It will conclude with a "mega-morcha" outside the state secretariat, he said, but did not specify for how long the tour will continue.

The party will try to reach out to the maximum number of people in every village of the state, the leader said.

"Our agitation will continue till the governor does not dismiss this inefficient government which has put the state's people to hardship. The governor should invite the Congress to form the government, as it has the maximum number of legislators among all parties in the House," he said.

The BJP's assurance of job-creation has fallen flat and rather there has been unemployment in the state with the closure of the mining industry, Chellakumar claimed.

The BJP, which is in power at the Centre, could have taken steps to find a solution to the crisis in the mining industry, he added.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar said the party leaders, including legislators, will interact with people across the state during the tour.

"Usually, political parties expect people to come to them. But in this case, we will reach out to the people and listen to their grievances," he said.