Tuesday, April 19 2005 14:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Panaji: Denying reports that the Congress was in favour of holding elections in Goa, a top Congress leader today (Apr 19, 2005) said that the party had demanded to the central election commission that by polls to five Assembly constituencies be held immediately.

"The reports that Congress is in favour of elections are just an attempt by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to impose dissolution of the Assembly on the people of the State and burden the exchequer. We are unanimous in our opinion that there should only be by-polls and they should be held as soon as possible as monsoons are approaching and time is running out," Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Luisinho Faleiro told reporters in Panaji.

By-polls to the five Assembly seats were necessitated when BJP MLA's resigned and joined Congress in January, leading to the fall of Manohar Parrikar Government and eventual imposition of President's rule in the State.

Accusing BJP of "sour grapes" Faleiro said that the party was scared of facing the by polls as they were aware that they did not stand a chance against candidates put up by the Congress and hence were trying to plant stories about elections.

When asked about difference among Congress allies about seat sharing in the polls, he said, "Whatever is being said by our allies is for public consumption. Finally we have to sit down and discuss among ourselves as well as with our high command and then decide. That is how coalition politics is played."