Congress strongman and three-time Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco stopped in his tracks and decided to stay with the Congress party for the 2022 assembly elections. While the word went around that he was all set to resign from the party on October 7, Reginaldo put speculations to rest by holding a press conference on Tuesday and announcing that he will contest elections on a Congress ticket.
In a fast-paced political script that played out, the spotlight was completely focused on the birthday boy, and pointed questions were doing the rounds. What forced Reginaldo to retract at the eleventh hour, when he was set to pack up? Why did the Curtorim MLA suddenly turn out to be that all-important legislator for Congress? So important, that apart from the party heavyweights calling on him, even Rahul Gandhi decided to dial-up and pass on a message or two from Delhi. Did speculations of moving over to the Aam Aadmi Party send shivers down the spine of the party ranks? Or was it the probability that Reginaldo's exit could signal the end of the road for Congress?
For once, the Congress leadership of Girish Chodankar and Digambar Kamat, senior leaders and party workers from the constituency and outside put all their energies towards convincing Reginaldo to stay on. The monumental effort which coincided with his birthday, not only gave Reginaldo a new halo but also made him the most sought after leader. He is now promised a bigger role during elections, and also post-polls.
Reginaldo’s decision is a win-win one for him and the Congress. The MLA who has a huge voter base will be in a comfort zone going into the election on a familiar base, while the party will look to consolidate on the probable winners in its ranks. Close on the heels of Navelim legislator and veteran leader Luizinho Faleiro’s exit, Reginaldo’s exit could have spelt doom for the party's poll prospects, literally ending faint ambitions of getting the majority numbers and wresting power from the BJP.
Reginaldo, who was consistently spewing venom on the State leadership and held it responsible for the downslide could have picked this opportune moment to take the parting shot and move on. That not being the case, could his stay now signal a change in the party outlook toward Reginaldo and vice-versa? The story so far has not been favourable for either. Factional fights, divisive politics and a show of no-confidence has been the order so far. Lest we forget, Reginaldo was highly critical of the State leadership and pleaded his case before Rahul Gandhi when a team was summoned to Delhi recently.
With the dust settled, it remains to be seen how Reginaldo re-emerges in a new role and how he is accommodated in the new scheme of things, leaving aside the promise of a bigger responsibility post-elections. On a more practical side, all eyes will be on the outspoken Curtorim MLA who was till now fiercely critical of the State Congress leadership. Can Congress bury the hatchet and show some unity now?
