Margao: For months, Amit Patkar has kept his distance from the Congress. Now, for the first time since his removal as state president, he has spoken of joining the Goy Rakhon Yatra, which he had planned to welcome in Curchorem with his workers on Tuesday. The party, he says, hasn’t even told him the Curchorem leg has now been rescheduled. As per the revised schedule of the yatra, it will reach Curchorem on Oct 16.Patkar had decided to join the yatra with his team when it was originally due in Curchorem on Tuesday, Oct 13. “I am not aware on what day it has been rescheduled,” he told TOI. “If I am informed about the changed date well in advance, and if I have no other engagement on that day, I will join the party.”Patkar said Congress’ senior vice-president M K Shaikh had earlier texted him an invitation to the yatra, on what Shaikh said were instructions from the AICC Goa in-charge. However, Patkar said he had hoped for a deeper engagement with the party.“I had thought they would ask me for my inputs, considering the efforts I had put in building the party over the last four and a half years. They could have given me some significant role,” he said. “I am with the Congress, but in the absence of any specific role in the yatra, and with no consultation either, I haven’t joined it so far.”Asked whether a rapprochement with the leadership was possible, Patkar said: “If they require me, let them ask me for inputs or consult me.”Patkar, who narrowly missed winning Curchorem in 2022, was removed as state president in May when the party brought back Girish Chodankar to head the unit. Since then, he has organised a Govinda Utsav on Janmashtami and a Chaturthi Mahotsav in Curchorem, and has announced a pan-Goa anti-drug campaign to be launched from Curchorem.Patkar, however, has kept his cards close to his chest. Some of his close aides were believed to be behind the idea of a breakaway Goa Congress Party, and Patkar himself was seen growing close to Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai. Sardesai is now keen to join Congress as part of a grand opposition alliance against BJP, and the proposed Goa Congress Party appears to be grounded. This, political observers say, has left Patkar in a tight spot.Patkar, however, is unfazed. “I am quietly doing my work in my constituency, as ultimately we have to win,” he said.
