Flag-hoisting ceremony in Panaji draws attention after several prominent Congress leaders reportedly remain absent

The Congress launched its Goy Rakhonn Yatra with a flag-hoisting ceremony at Congress House, but the event itself has raised eyebrows after several prominent party leaders were reportedly missing.

GPCC President Girish Chodankar, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, MLAs Altone D’Costa and Carlos Ferreira, and Lok Sabha MP Capt. Viriato Fernandes were reportedly absent from the ceremony marking the beginning of the party’s statewide campaign.

The Congress has projected the Goy Rakhonn Yatra as a major campaign to reach people across Goa and highlight issues concerning the State’s land, identity, environment, livelihoods and governance.

With the party preparing to take its campaign across all 40 Assembly constituencies, the absence of several senior leaders at the opening ceremony has naturally attracted attention.

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The yatra comes at a politically significant time, with parties already beginning preparations for the 2027 Goa Assembly elections. Congress has planned a sustained statewide outreach programme through the campaign, seeking to connect with voters and raise issues it considers important for Goa’s future.

However, the reported absence of multiple senior leaders at the very event that formally kick-started the campaign has added an unexpected talking point to the launch.

The ceremony was intended to signal a united beginning to the statewide mobilisation. Instead, the empty spots among the party’s prominent leadership have prompted questions about why the leaders were not present.

At the same time, there is no confirmed information establishing that their absence reflects any internal disagreement, and scheduling or other organisational reasons could also account for their non-participation.

As the Goy Rakhonn Yatra now moves beyond its launch event and begins its statewide journey, attention will remain on the participation of Congress leaders and the response the campaign receives across Goa.

For a party seeking to build momentum through a major statewide outreach drive, the opening ceremony has already generated a talking point not only about the issues Congress plans to raise, but also about who was missing when the journey began.

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