Panaji, Aug 25: Ruling out any understanding with Save Goa Front (SGF) chief Churchil Alemao on offering the South Goa Lok Sabha seat to his daughter for the coming by-election, AICC general secretary in charge of Goa Margaret Alva has said the candidate would be decided jby party supremo Sonia Gandhi after the Election Commission's announcement of the election schedule.

Interacting with mediapersons after former Chief Minister and Speaker Francisco Sardinha took over as the new Goa Pradesh Congress Committee chief here today, Ms Alva, however, admitted that the party had approached Mr Churchil for joining the Digambar Kamat government after breaking ties with the BJP-led Goa Democratic Alliance recently.

There was nothing more than that except offering the PWD portfolio to him. On the other hand, Mr Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, who was recently expelled by the UGDP, has extended his support on his own and we could not reject it, she said.

''There is nither truck with Mr Monserrate nor his party. He chose to give support to us on his own. We did not negotiate with the UGDP. The Congress, however, sought support of Churchil whom we called a joke when he rebelled against the party before the June 2 elections,'' she said.

Ms Alva also made it clear that her party had nothing to do with the decisions Mr Monserrate had taken as the Town and Country Planning Minister in the erstwhile Pratapsinh Rane government related to the controversial Regional Plan-2011.

The Plan was scrapped following public uproar and Mr Monserrate resigne from the Ministry. But he fought to retain the Taleigao constituency from the UGDP ticket after quitting the Congress and membership of the Assembly at the eleventh hour.

He had forged truck with the SGF and floated the GDA with the BJP, MGP and an independent plunging the Kamat-led government into minority, only to quit the GDA within a fortnight to extend support to the government.

Mr Kamat, who was present at the press conference, reiterated that he was ready to prove his majority if called for. He also admitted that he had welcomed Mr Monserrate when the latter extended his ''unqualified support'' to his government.

''We are ready to take support of anybody who ever extends it,'' he said, adding he had no differences with Mr Churchil.


UNI