While the UGDP split following Alemao's failure to convince his rank and file to merge with the Congress, the national party is also facing a revolt spearheaded by senior party officials and ministers in Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane's cabinet.

Loyalists of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Shantaram Naik are, however, opposed to the merger idea. The government is facing troubles even within. Deputy Chief Minister Wilfred D'Souza, Urban Development Minister Dayanand Narvekar and Industry Minister Luinho Faleiro have threatened to topple the chief minister on this issue.

On the other hand, the merger, if it goes through, is expected to strengthen Rane as it would enable the unified Congress to corner the Christian Catholic vote in South Goa which is now split between Alemao's UGDP and the Congress. Politicalobservers note that such a merger would help the Congress stop a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party in its tracks in the Assembly polls scheduled for next year. With Congress dissidents holding meetings in various parts of the state, party president Sonia Gandhi has begun a damage-control exercise by sending All India Congress Committee general secretary Madhavrao Scindia to patch up the rival groups.

He is scheduled to visit Goa early next month. ``He is coming here to strengthen the party organisation,'' GPCC chief Shantaram Naik told The Indian Express. Refuting rumours that Scindia is coming here to finalise the merger, he said, ``Certain Congressmen who want the merger are creating the impression that Scindia will be here to finalise the merger,'' Naik said.

Incidentally, the history of alliances between Rane and Alemao does not inspire much confidence in the average Congressman. Alemao who merged his Goa Congress, a regional party, with the Congress in the late 80s broke away with six MLAs in 1990 tobring down the three-month old government headed by Rane. ``We apprehend that he will enjoy at our cost for one year and then return to the UGDP before the elections,'' Naik said. Even the grass root level Congress workers have come out against the merger. In the Benaulim assembly constituency, Congress party workers organised public meetings to protest the merger. Workers alleged that Alemao's UGDP machinery had used unconstitutional methods to intimidate them.

Over the past few weeks, both Rane and Naik have expressed their views on the merger to Sonia Gandhi. While Rane feels that the UGDP without Alemao is a non-entity in Goan politics, Naik is apprehensive that even a rump UGDP will cut into the Congress voter. However, both the groups have a common mission: to halt the rising BJP wave in Goa.