Post Antony report, Congress mends ways

Panaji, May 5 (IANS) The findings of Congress leader A.K. Antony's "post mortem" report on the party's humiliating election rout in Goa in March already appears to have had an effect.

According to state Congress president Subhash Shirodkar, the party was in the process of taking corrective steps based on the findings of Antony.

The forthcoming panchayat elections and the Cortalim byelection, which follows the death of Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Mathany Saldanha, would be an opportunity for a "reality check" for the Congress.

"The report has shown us what went wrong. There are certain measures which we have been asked to undertake," Shirodkar said.

"We will also be sending regular reports to the party high command about the developments here," said Shirodkar, who lost from the Shiroda assembly constituency.

"The panchayat elections in May and the by-election in June will be a reality check for the Congress," Shirodkar told IANS Saturday.

Defence Minister Antony, asked by the Congress to study the reasons for the defeats in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Goa, had said that mining scams, nepotism and the anger among Christians were to blame for the Goa loss.

The Congress strength in the 40-member house shrunk from 21 to a nine.

While several cabinet ministers including Chief Minister Digambar Kamat were linked to mining mafia, the Congress decision to allot 33 percent of ticket to kin of legislators proved disastrous.

The Antony committee was assisted by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and cabinet minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, both of who had campaigned in Goa.