PANAJI: In a major political boost for the Congress ahead of the upcoming Goa Assembly elections, prominent Scheduled Tribe (ST) leader Satyavan Gaonkar from Sanguem, along with his wife Neeta Gaonkar and hundreds of supporters, joined the party at the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) headquarters in Panaji on Wednesday.
The induction was held in the presence of AICC Goa In-Charge Manickrao Thakare, GPCC President Girish Chodankar, Working Presidents Adv. Carlos Alvares Ferreira and Sunil Kawthankar, South Goa District Congress President Rajesh Verekar, and several senior Congress leaders.
Welcoming the new members, Thakare said the Congress has always stood for the welfare and empowerment of Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes. He reiterated that the party recognises the ST community as Adivasis and remains committed to protecting their constitutional rights and ensuring their dignity.
Criticising the BJP, Thakare alleged that the ruling party refers to the community as “Vanvasi” instead of “Adivasi.” He assured that experienced leaders such as Satyavan Gaonkar would be entrusted with greater organisational responsibilities to strengthen the Congress and enhance the representation of the Adivasi community.
GPCC President Girish Chodankar described Gaonkar’s entry into the Congress as a significant development for the party, particularly in Goa’s tribal belt and the Sanguem Assembly constituency. He said the induction of Gaonkar and his supporters would further strengthen the Congress at the grassroots level.
Chodankar also targeted the BJP government over the alleged non-implementation of the ₹3,200 crore Scheduled Tribe Sub-Plan allocation. He further accused the ruling party of lacking the political will to provide reservation for the Scheduled Tribe community in the Goa Legislative Assembly.
“The BJP has no intention of ensuring genuine political representation for the Scheduled Tribe community. It remembers different communities only during elections and treats them as vote banks,” Chodankar alleged.
Among those who joined the Congress were Vishal Naik, Prajok Kurdikar, Francis Fernandes, Putu Gaonkar, Milan Gaonkar, Tanvi Gaonkar, Ruzarian Carvalho, Alex Fernandes, Sanjana Dessai, Anish Gaonkar, Sangam Gaonkar, Krish Gaonkar, Abhay Gaonkar, Vikrant Gaonkar, Pooja Gaonkar, Laxmi Gaonkar, Sanjana Gaonkar, Rupali Naik and hundreds of supporters from Sanguem and nearby areas.
