Panaji: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Goa on Thursday said that it will not focus on local issues in Lok Sabha elections.

“I doubt whether there will be any local issues taken up by NCP candidate during this election,” party’s Goa chief Wilfred de Souza told reporters here.

Mr. De Souza said that Congressman Jitendra Deshprabhu will quit Congress and join NCP on Friday morning. Deshprabhu, two times Congress legislator, has been given the ticket to contest from North Goa seat by NCP.

Mr. De Souza, who in past had lambasted BJP MP Sripad Naik for not raking up Mhadei water diversion issue in the Parliament, said that the issue will not figure in NCP’s
election campaign this time.

Goa is fighting back Karnataka’s moves to divert Mhadei river water by constructing dams across the state border.

“We have issues like economic meltdown and terrorism which will be highlighted during the campaign,” he said when asked about Mhadei and other local issues.

On asked why a Congressman was given a ticket despite six NCP leaders aspiring for the same, Mr. de Souza said that it was a decision by party high command.

“I was not sitting with them (High Command) and neither I was consulted,” the NCP Goa Chief said. — PTI