Congress rejects TMC offer of alliance for Goa polls, accuses it of diving 'anti-BJP vote'

Rao's response came after a tweet by Mahua Moitra, who is Goa in charge of Trinamool Congress. She had said Trinamool Congress had made "formal and definitive offer to INC on Goa to defeat BJP" two weeks ago.

She had also taken a dig at Congress leader P Chidambaram, who is senior election observer of the party, in Goa and said he should talk to his party's leadership if he is not aware of details.

"AITC already made formal and definitive offer to INC on Goa to defeat BJP 2. INC leadership asked for time to revert. This was almost 2 weeks ago. 3. If Mr. Chidambaram not aware of details he should talk to his leadership rather than making these statements," Moitra had said in her tweet.

Dinesh Gundu Rao, in his response to her tweet, also referred to an earlier tweet by party leader KC Venugopal and asked whose reply was she waiting for.

"Trinamool's brilliant strategy to defeat BJP in Goa is weaken Congress and divide the anti BJP vote. If @kcvenugopalmp 's tweet wasn't reply enough, I wonder who from amongst Delhi leaders response is @MahuaMoitra awaiting. And Trinamool's brilliant strategy to defeat BJP in Goa is weaken Congress and divide the anti BJP vote. Whom does that help Moitraji?" Dinesh Gundu Rao said in a tweet.

Moitra, MP, later did not directly refer to Dinesh Gundu Rao's remarks but said she did not want to "engage in further Twitter shadow boxing" with various Congress functionaries.

"Uninformed false bravado no substitute for rational thinking & maturity. Definitve offer between principals on table - waiting for revert. No desire to engage in further Twitter shadow boxing with various INC functionaries," she said.

Venugopal, who is Congress general secretary (Organisation), had said on January 10 that no discussions were held on an alliance with Trinamool Congress and Congress was confident of putting Goa back on the path to progress soon.

"The rumour in circulation that a possible alliance with TMC was discussed by Shri @RahulGandhi in today's meeting is completely baseless & untrue. Let me assure that the Congress party is confident- we will put Goa back on the path to progress soon," Venugopal had said.

Trinamool Congress in recent days has been hinting and advocating a "secular alliance" in Goa to defeat the BJP but the Congress is keen to fight the assembly polls with Goa Forward Party only.

NCP and Shiv Sena, which are part of Congress alliance in Maharashtra, are not allies of Congress in Goa. Congress is apparently irked at "poaching" by Trinamool Congress in the state. Former CM of Goa and Congress Luizinho Faleiro had joined TMC in September last year and was also sent to Rajya Sabha as a party member. Goa will go to the assembly polls on February 14. (ANI)