Rain Washes Out Kharge's First Goa Visit as Congress Battles Setbacks

A planned public meeting for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Goa Statehood Day has been canceled due to heavy rains. This event, which would have marked Kharge's first visit to the state in his current role, faced challenges including party leadership struggles and mobilization issues.

A scheduled public meeting for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, intended for May 30 to commemorate Goa Statehood Day, has been called off. The decision was made after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted heavy rains for the day, as confirmed by M K Sheikh, senior vice president of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC).

Kharge's visit, which garnered significant media attention, would have been his first to Goa since taking over as party president in October 2022. However, both adverse weather conditions and difficulties in rallying a significant crowd contributed to the decision to postpone. Manikrao Thakre, who had been managing event logistics, departed from Goa to return to Bengaluru as plans were shelved.

The cancellation highlights deeper issues within the Goa Congress, which has grappled with a leadership void after the defection of eight of its 11 MLAs to the BJP in September 2022. Despite previous efforts like the 'Mhadei Jagor' and 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', the party has struggled to maintain a strong foothold in Goa, missing the chance to capitalize on past successes such as the South Goa Lok Sabha victory in alliance with the INDIA bloc.

(With inputs from agencies.)