Mining scam may hit Kamat’s second term chances
October 23rd, 2011 - 7:55 pm ICT by IANS
Panaji, Oct 23 (IANS) Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, facing allegations of being part of a Rs.25,000 crore illegal mining scam, may not be the Congress party’s chief ministerial candidate for next year’s polls, a party leader said Sunday.
Speaking to reporters at the Congress headquarters here, All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary in charge of Goa, Jagmeet Singh Brar, said Kamat may not be projected as the party’s next chief ministerial choice and the decision would be taken after the elections.
“We have not finalised any face yet,” added Brar, who assessed the party’s polls preparations during his three-day visit, which culminated Sunday.
Kamat, formerly a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator, joined the Congress during a coup in 2005 and donned the chief minister’s hat in 2007 as a consensus candidate, following internal wrangling within the Congress.
Kamat has now come under fire from the opposition as well as a section of the Congress party for presiding over a mega mining scam over the last twelve years when he was a mines minister both in the Congress and the BJP regime.
AICC secretary Sudhakar Reddy also hinted that Kamat may not be the poster boy for the forthcoming state assembly polls, which are scheduled to be held early next year.
“Congress Legislative Party (CLP) and high command will decide the person,” said Reddy, who along with Brar was in Goa to meet the party’s alliance partners the Nationalist Congress Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.
Party sources said that the high command was looking for a new face to lead the Congress in the polls.
- Will Congress do a Yeddyurappa with Goa's Kamat? (Letter from Goa) - Sep 21, 2011
- BJP fielding candidates of mining lobby: Kamat - Feb 26, 2012
- Goa ex-minister blames mining scam for loss - Mar 14, 2012
- Goa ex-minister blames mining scam for loss - Mar 14, 2012
- No midnight session for Goa liberation's 50th anniversary: Kamat - Dec 02, 2011
- Congress wins Goa's Valpoi bypoll - Oct 21, 2010
- Scam-tainted Congress looks to repeat win in Goa - Dec 25, 2011
- Congress keeping Goa illegal mining report under wraps: Munde - Feb 26, 2012
- Congress, NCP set to seal Goa poll deal - Jan 23, 2012
- Two Goa ex-chief ministers, six ministers defeated - Mar 06, 2012
- BJP's 'fight' against illegal mining wilting in Goa's poll heat (Goa Newsletter) - Feb 11, 2012
- BJP-MGP alliance win in Goa; to stake claim Wednesday (Roundup) - Mar 06, 2012
- Goa has failed to keep promises, says Congress official - Apr 01, 2011
- Congress, NCP working towards pre-poll alliance in Goa - Nov 09, 2011
- Kamat resigns as Goa chief minister - Mar 06, 2012
Tags: aicc, alliance partners, bharatiya janata party, bjp, brar, chief minister, clp, goa, india congress committee, kamat, legislator, maharashtrawadi gomantak party, nationalist congress party, new face, party leader, party sources, poster boy, state assembly polls, sudhakar, twelve years