By Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
 
Panaji, Jul 1: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Goa will soon get a new chief with party high command considering few names.

Sources confirmed that NCP General Secretary Praful Patel will visit Goa in the first week of July to hold discussions with the local leaders.

NCP’s Goa unit is sans its president after Dr Wilfred D’Souza along with 30-odd executive member quit the party on the eve of its anniversary on June 10.

The 77-year-old politician had challenged very existence of the party contending that a different political force was formed on the contentious concern on Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin, which is right now a non-issue.

The NCP faced major blow as D’Souza faction quit en-mass leaving rest of the leaders to hold on the reigns of Sharad Pawar-led party.

It also forced the need to re-organise entire party unit in the state where it is sharing power with congress.
     
As the party began haunting for the chief, leaders including former minister Sangita Parab and congressman-turned-NCP leader Jitendra Deshprabhu have put in their claim.

“I will go by what my leaders decide,” Deshprabhu reacted when asked about his prospects of winning over the coveted post.

NCP is a coalition partner in Digamber Kamat led government and two out of three of its legislators are inducted in the cabinet.

While party’s legislative wing leader Jose Philip D’Souza is a revenue minister, Fransisco Pacheco is a tourism minister in Congress-led cabinet.