Congress members working together to keep Valanka out

PANAJI: Former PWD minister Churchill Alemao's daughter Valanka Alemao may face a tough time in getting elected as the president of Goa Pradesh Youth Congress (GPYC) as few a Congress MLAs, GPCC president Subhash Shirodkar, and office bearers have come together to defeat her.
Congress leaders held a meeting on Friday at the Congress house which was chaired by Shirodkar and attended by over 25 members, including MLAs, officer bearers, youth Congress members and Congress senior leaders.
During the meeting GPYC vice president Xavier Fialho's name emerged as a front runner for the topmost post in the youth Congress.
Sources at the meeting said that the main agenda of the meeting was not to support Valanka for the post as it would be 'family raj' all over again. Sources added that during the last assembly election, because of family raj, the Congress was thrown out of power and if they repeat the same mistake then the people of Goa would laugh at the party. "We have unanimously decided that everybody should work together to defeat Valanka in the youth Congress election," sources said.
Source also said that Shirodkar's daughter Gauri Shirodkar would not contest the post as it would still be within the family. Those MLAs who were unable to attend the meeting, their consent were taken over the phone and the decision was conveyed to them.
Sources also said that they will communicate to around 1,100 booth-level elected members of the youth Congress not to vote for Valanka.
Recently, the first round of booth-level elections of youth Congress got over and 1,100 members have been elected who will be instrumental in electing block, district and the state president.
In the last youth Congress election Valanka was disqualified for one year for violating the code of conduct by taking the help of senior party leaders for electoral gains, thereby disturbing the level playing field.