“Dear Friends Due to the non-availability of accommodation in Nanded, it has been decided to drop the plan of joining Bharat Jodo Yatra. Please take note. Regards Office of GPCC”. This was a WhatsApp message which cancelled the trip of hundred-odd Goa Congress members and grassroots leaders late one evening. But what is more baffling is that no one, in particular, reached out to the Congress ranks in the state where the party has been reeling under two major Congress MLA migrations first 10 MLAs in the last Assembly and then 8 MLAs in the current Assembly leaving the party cadres reeling.

Indian National Congress’ ambitious 3500+ walk to unite Indians from Kanyakumari to Kashmir left the state of Goa untouched in its southern sojourn. While thousands of Goan party workers and influential leaders who whip up passions in favour of Congress in this state were looking desperately for a reboot event after the humiliating debacle in the last Assembly polls and exodus of 8 MLAs, a few entitled leaders including the party President Amit Patkar and Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao abandoned them to score brownie points. The Prez, Lop & 2 MLAs walked with Rahul Gandhi first in Karnataka on October 13th and then in Rajasthan on December 16th. Between these two scene stealers, Congress’ sneaky, self-centred and dwindling leadership in Goa abandoned the rest of Congress workers for a trip to Nanded scheduled for November 16th/17th

But behind this deathly silence of non-participation of dedicated and loyal Congress workers, a shadow boxing is playing out between incumbent President Patkar and former President Girish Chodankar (who paid his respects twice to the Yatra). The game of one-upmanship has left a majority of the party workers disappointed and fuming.

It's not that Congress lacks in leaders former AAP CM face Elvis Gomes, mass leader & Convenor, Goencho Avaaz Capt Viriato Fernandes, and firebrand trade leader Swati Kerkar – all-powerful mass leaders were amongst those deliberately sabotaged from participating. At stake, are Congress tickets in South and North Goa for 2024, it's a small, inconsequential coterie running Congress Goa which is sabotaging its own to control the imploding party.