from Daijiworld News Network's special correspondent in Panaji

Panaji, Jan 26: From an initial war of words to complaints to the bosses, the Goa unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is divided between two of its senior leaders – Goa unit chief Dr Wilfred (Willie) D'Souza and vice-president Fransisco "Mickey" Pacheco.

This week Pacheco was on a special mission to Mumbai to meet NCP leader R R Patil and demand "democratic functioning of NCP in Goa".  Though Pacheco has withheld himself from demanding leadership change in the state, his action clearly speaks of his demand to oust D'Souza from the chair and hand over charge to him (Pacheco).

While Pacheco managed to meet Patil in Mumbai, D'Souza has planned to meet his party bosses in Delhi next week. Armed with a letter which has signatures of 25 out of 30 executive members supporting his leadership, D'Souza is likely to meet NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

After returning from Mumbai, Pacheco reiterated his demand that the party function properly. To justify his claim of NCP not functioning smoothly in the state, Pacheco has cited the failure of party unit to take up a membership drive. "Even membership forms are not printed," Pacheco said. Senior party leaders were "annoyed with Goa unit chief Wilfred D'Souza, as nothing is being done for the party's development in the state," he said.

Pacheco said that during his meeting with Patil on Wednesday, he demanded that a central party observer be deputed to Goa to study the current situation and an emergency executive meeting be convened.

While the tug of war between both the heavyweights continued, a section of the media on Wednesday reported D'Souza, who is unhappy with Pacheco's campaign against him, had written a letter to chief minister Pratapsingh Rane seeking his (Pacheco's) ouster from the cabinet.

The media reports were, however, rubbished by chief minister himself. "I have not received any such letter. It's their internal party matter,'' Rane said.

The NCP leaders also denied seeking Pacheco's ouster. "D'Souza has not written any such letter. It is for the party high command in Delhi to decide on circumstances in Goa," NCP Goa unit general secretary Surendra Furtado said.