MARGAO
The irrepressible Curtorim MLA further warned that the party will be doomed if the grandfathers do not retire and make way for the young blood in the running of the party.
“I do not intend to absolve or exonerate Goa Forward Party mentor Vijai Sardesai for denying the Congress the opportunity to form the government. Let me be very clear that the people of Goa did not give Parrikar and Vijai the mandate to join hands and form the government. But, at the same time, the Congress senior leaders cannot escape the liability for the present situation,” he said.
Reginaldo said what had happened after March 11 ought to be a lesson for the Congress party if the party leadership has any future plans for the party. “I can say with confidence that what had happened after March 11 would not have taken place if the party had paid heed to his plea for giving tickets to the new faces and the new blood. People of Goa would have given the Congress the full mandate in the election and to form the government,” he asserted and cautioned ‘the party leadership should act fast and save the party from destruction by getting the grandfathers retired’.
When pointed out to reports that he too had staked claim for the post of Chief Minister, Reginaldo shot back, “I had only told the party leadership to consider his name if there is no candidate for the post. But, as it turned out a whole lot of senior leaders staked their claim for the party delaying the entire process of selecting the CLP leader.”
The Curtorim MLA pointed out that Quepem MLA Babu Kavlekar has been appointed the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader only after he insisted that the post should go to a young MLA within the party. “People of Goa know the senior Congress leader, who was eyeing on the CLP post from day one. It was I who insisted that the post should go to Kavlekar after the seniors messed up the entire process.”
Reginaldo’s comments assumed significance and come against the backdrop of his persistent demand over the years to phase out the old guard and to make way for
the young blood to take the party forward.
