Chidambaram sidesteps question on Cong-NCP alliance in Goa

Panaji: All India Congress Committee senior observer for the Goa polls, P. Chidambaram on Saturday sidestepped questions related to any pre-poll alliance with 'like-minded' parties like the NCP.

Speaking to reporters, during his three-day tour of the state, Chidambaram said that his mandate for now was to restructure and strengthen the Congress state unit.

"We are not discussing anything except restructuring the party. For the next month or month and a half, we will only discuss restructuring the party, revival of the party, expansion of the party's base and enrolling new members in the party. That is all that we are discussing," Chidambaram asserted.

When asked for response on an 'ultimatum' by NCP general secretary Praful Patel, who on Thursday had urged the Congress to decide on a pre-poll alliance within 15 days, Chidambaram said: "I have no mandate to discuss something else."

Further he also declined to respond to a query whether the Congress will re-induct 10 MLAs, who split from the party in 2019 and joined the BJP subsequently.

Goa assembly elections are scheduled to be held in early 2022.