MARGAO
Congress-turned-BJP MLA and Salcete’s lone Minister in Chief Minister Pramod Sawant government, Aleixo Sequeira seemed on a mission -- to ensure the Lotus bloom in the minority stronghold in the coming Lok Sabha polls.
Not only Sequeira appeared confidence personified when he asserted that the BJP would wrest the South Goa seat from the Congress, he was unequivocal in saying Nuvem in particular and Salcete in general would rally behind the BJP in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
Consider this: A week ago, Sequeira along with CM Sawant hopped from village to village in his home minority-dominated Nuvem constituency, calling on people who matters in a bid to ensure the BJP garners majority in the coming election. Tuesday morning saw the political heavyweight, shutting between Manora-Raia and the Margao railway station to flag off the special train to the pilgrim centre of Our Lady of Vailankani, before proceeding to Vasco and later making his presence at his weekly darbar at the district Collectorate to resolve public grievances.
That’s not all. After the recent Panchayat Chalo Abhiyan, wherein he visited the constituencies of Benaulim, Velim and Navelim last week, Sequeira says he has now zeroed in on Benaulim to drum up support for the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls.
Indeed, early Tuesday morning, Sequeira with son and his personal staff, besides Social Welfare Director Ajit Panchwadkar all descended at the Margao railway station, not only to oversee the documentation, but to bid bon voyage to the 1,000-odd pilgrims heading to Vailankani by the government-sponsored special train.
As he wished the pilgrims safe journey, the Salcete lone minister reminded the media on the platform that the BJP government has arranged the special train to Vailankani. "The BJP is perceived as communal. But, here is an instance wherein the BJP has arranged a special train for the people of the minority community to go on a pilgrimage to Vailankani. This train has been made possible by the Chief Minister after he visited Nuvem during my felicitation by the people. Many such trains will leave for Vailankani in the coming days. I am also toying with the possibility of arranging a special train to Nasik where many Catholics go on a pilgrimage”, he added.
Later making his presence felt at the district Collectorate for his weekly darbar, a confident looking Seqeuira told the media that the BJP would wrest the South Goa seat from the Congress in the coming election.
He went on to say that not only his home constituency of Nuvem, but minority Salcete will give a lead to the BJP in the ensuing election.
He begged to differ with the scribes by insisting that Salcete is no longer the Congress bastion, countering with a question how come the Congress won just three out of the eight seats at stake in Salcete in the 2022 Assembly polls. “Yes, I have been asking my Nuvem constituency to rally behind the BJP and I am confident that BJP will get a majority in my constituency in the Lok Sabha polls”, he said, adding that his next destination is the Benaulim Assembly segment to drum up support for the BJP in the coming election,.
