PANJIM: In what could be termed as a political u-turn; All Goa Private Bus Owners Association (AGPBOA) has now extended its support to Congress, whom it has been labeling as a corrupt outfit, since last few years.
The association, with over 500 members, has said that their demands were inculcated in the Congress manifesto because of which they have changed their stand.
Addressing a press conference, AGPBOA general secretary Sudip Tamankar said that BJP has failed to include the issues of private bus owners in its manifesto, released on February 19.
“On the other hand, Congress has assured to fulfill our three most important demands, which includes display of advertisement on the buses, increase in bus subsidy and two tyres free per new bus,” Tamankar said adding ‘these are three major demands of the association, which were they were struggling to get fulfilled over last two-three years’.
BJP, which has come out with an impressive manifesto for the forthcoming assembly elections failed to highlight the grievances of the private bus owners, who till now were their biggest supporters.
The campaign will be launched by association members across the state appealing to people to vote in favour of Congress party.
When asked about this sudden political turn, Tamankar said, “Manohar Parrikar apart from giving just verbal assurances has not done anything for this section and the party manifesto, which has neglected us completely, can be termed as the best example’.
AGPBOA had extended its support to BJP soon after election dates were announced. Though upset with duo – Ramakrishna Dhavalikar (Marcaim) and Deepak Dhavalikar (Priol), the association continued its support to BJP even after its pre-poll alliance with MGP.
The association, has already extended its support to Congress candidate Ritesh Naik in Marcaim while independent candidate Govind Gawade in Priol.
“We were always against Dhavalikar brothers for squeezing the bus owners. Our only aim this election is to make sure that these two leaders don’t get re-elected,” he said adding ‘BJP, which always raised its voice against corruption, has used these to corrupt leaders to win the poll’.
