PANAJI
Taleigao strongman Atanasio Monserrate announced in no uncertain terms that he would contest from the Panaji Assembly constituency in the 2017 elections.
“This time for the 2017 elections I will be a candidate from Panaji constituency. Let us clear this doubt which is going around that I am not going to contest,” Monserrate said making the announcement at a gathering of councillors and other close friends in St Inez on Friday evening.
“I will not let the people of Panjim down. I will be with them through thick and thin. As a married couple says when they exchange vows that they will be with each other in good times and in bad, I assure this to the people of Panaji that I will be with you in good times and in bad,” Monserrate said flanked by two previous Congress candidates Surendra Furtado and Yatin Parekh.
“I have gathered around those who are close to me, who are part of me for the past three terms. I want support from everyone. I know there are differences among you especially when elections come. This will be my election. I will go to the people to ask support. You will go to the people to ask support for me,” Monserrate said.
He said that he was itching for a fight with Manohar Parrikar and was confident that he could defeat him.
“I always wanted to fight against Manohar Parrikar and defeat him. I want the Delhi government to send him back so that I can fight him. I was always confident that I would defeat Parrikar,” Monserrate said.
“Education and development are two different things. Educational qualification is for oneself while development is for the people,” Monserrate said.
He taunted Parrikar for being Panaji’s MLA for the past 25 years and yet not having done anything for the city.
I think we’ve had this MLA for the past 25 years. A child who was born 25 years back will have seen no change in Panaji. So many things could be done. This (the Santa Inez creek has been on each and everyone’s agenda,” Monserrate said adding that there should be no vindictiveness as far a development is concerned.
He also sent barbs in the direction of the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation pointing out how they are now reduced to building footpaths and parks when they were initially set up for big projects.
“We gave them an opportunity to develop Panaji. But they only sold the CCP to the GSIDC,” Monserrate said pointing out that Goa is the only state in the country where projects which should be routed through the municipal body are being routed through the GSIDC.
Monserrate said he was open to an alliance with Vijai Sardesai’s Goa Forward Party although he will be contesting on his own party ticket.
The move is set to upset the political calculations of the Bharatiya Janata Party who have historically relied on a weak opposition candidate to maintain a stranglehold on the constituency.
