At a press conference here on Wednesday, Alemao accused Naik of trying to sideline him and announced his decision to take the issue to the Congress High Command. Alemao's outburst against Naik was provoked by the latter's alleged attempt to lock him out of the GPCC office.

The war could prove damaging to the party which lost two of its governments -- the latest being the Luizinho faction government, in one year.

The two have been at loggerheads ever since Alemao's faction of the United Goans Democratic Party was admitted into the Congress by former chief minister Pratapsinh Rane last July. Though this precipitated the fall of the Rane government, Alemao was offered the post of senior vice-president of theCongress.

Shantaram Naik who wanted to stay put as GPCC president even offered to refrain from contesting Assembly elections and concentrate on `strengthening the party'.

Alemao does not hide his closeness with Congress rebel and former chief minister Dr Wilfred D'Douza and has even mooted the idea of a homecoming. But there were enough indications that Alemao could break away from the Congress and migrate to the rebel fold.

D'Souza whose Goa Rajiv Congress which does not have its own party cadre has mooted the idea of a regional coalition between the GRC, UGDP and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). Political observers say such a coalition would receive a major boost should more breakaway Congressmen join it.

On the BJP front, the MGP is fighting shy of suggesting an electoral alliance with the party which refused to lend support to a GRC-MGP-led coalition in January this year. The MGP sees the refusal as being responsible for the subsequent President's rule after Faleiro's Congress lost itsmajority.