PANAJI
In a bid to dispel reports that some of the turncoat MLAs will quit the ruling party to face the ensuing Assembly elections, former minister and Panaji MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate has said he will "retire" from politics while remaining in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
A month away from completing two years in the saffron camp which he switched to from the Congress barely two months after he won the Panaji bye-polls in May 2019 necessitated by Manohar Parrikar's death, Monserrate also vexed eloquent on BJP's prospects in 2022.
“Irrespective of what others say, BJP will get 25 plus seats for sure. All five Tiswadi MLAs will be of BJP,” he said.
"I am with BJP and will retire in BJP. All 10 ex-Congress MLAs who came to BJP for development of their respective constituencies are satisfied in the party. There is no question of anyone wanting to jump back to Congress,” Monserrate said.
Monserrate who had launched a tirade against Health Minister at the height of the second Covid wave in May, also did a U-turn on it saying Covid management is much better in Goa as compared to other States in the country.
He added that the Health Minister made mistakes in Covid management but eventually corrected them.
