MARGAO
In 2016, longtime family friends “ former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao and three-time Zilla Panchayat member Maria Rebello finally parted ways ahead of the 2017 electoral battle, giving an added dimension to Benaulim’s status as Salcete’s high profile constituency.
Maria had been a prominent figure on Churchill’s platform over the years now, before the former ZP Chairperson decided to chart out her own independent political course. Her decision to part ways with the Churchill camp did come as a surprise to local politicos and citizens alike. Her husband Joe had been Churchill’s close aide over the years. In the 2012 Assembly election, Maria had shared the platform of Churchill’s daughter Valanka despite the fact that her brother Dr Hubert Gomes was in the fray.
Much water, however, had flowed down the River Sal post-2012 when relations between the two families had come under strain when the rival camp accused Maria for not putting her heart out behind Valanka’s campaign, a charge firmly rejected by the Rebellos.
The 2015 Zilla Panchayat election is believed to have come as a turning point behind Maria’s decision to take a plunge in the electoral ring. After scoring a hat-trick of sorts by winning the Benaulim ZP seat thrice in a stretch, Maria firmly set her eyes on the Assembly election due two years later in 2017.
No doubt, Maria had the backing of Churchill in all the three ZP polls. In the 2015 ZP poll, she contested as an independent, but Churchill worked behind the scene to defeat MLA Caitu Silva’s candidate.
Says Churchill: “I have no comment to offer on Maria’s decision to contest the election. This is a democratic country and everyone has the right to contest an election. I have no problem if A or B candidate contests the election.”
Asserting that he had supported Maria in the last three ZP elections, Churchill reminded that his baptism in politics took place in Benaulim in the year 1989 when people elected him to the Legislative Assembly for the first time with a highest margin in South Goa.
Maria, on the other hand, said she has decided to throw her hat in the 2017 electoral ring upon requests from citizens. “When I was campaigning for the ZP election, areas such as Orlim, Carmona and Cavelossim were new for me. People here offered me their support and they also requested me to contest the Assembly poll. I did not tell Churchill about my intention to contest the Assembly election after my victory in the 2015 ZP poll,” she said.
Incidentally, Maria is lobbying hard for the Congress ticket, while Churchill’s NCP is seeking an alliance with the Congress. A Cong-NCP alliance would rule out Maria, but she says that her future course would be decided by her supporters, indicating that she is bracing up for the battle.
