MARGAO
Asserting that the 2022 election will be the last election of his political career spanning close to 40 years, Trinamool Congress Party leader Churchill Alemao on Monday made an impassioned plea to the people of Benaulim to support and elect him for the last time.
Churchill also took strong exceptions to attempts made to rake up the ghost of family raj against him, demanding to know why only he and his family are being targeted when a couple of families across the country and in Goa have more than one member of the family in politics.
The TMC leader called up the media on Monday to announce that the February 14 elections will be his last. “It’s not that I have no strength in me to contest elections, but I have decided to contest my last election this year. In my political career, I have always lent a helping hand to the poor and the downtrodden. If I have received one rupee, I have ensured that 75 paisa have gone to the poor and the needy because I understand the sentiments and needs of the people,” he said.
Justifying his decision to embrace the TMC, Churchill said he has joined the party since he has faith and trust in Mamata Didi, saying she is the only person, who can challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Questioning attempts made to term the TMC as a Kolkata-based party, Churchill wondered why the same tag is not given to a host of political parties based outside Goa.
Slamming his opponents for misguiding the Goan youth, Churchill said the youth of Goa will benefit from the schemes and become independent once the TMC returns to power in the state.
In a bid to silence those trying to rake up the family raj issue, Churchill named a host of political families both within Goa and outside whose members have been elected to the Lok Sabha and the Goa Assembly.
“No one takes the names of these political families, but certain people only single out Churchill and his family as they envy us. These people try to defeat Churchill by raking up family raj, but I am confident people of Benaulim and Navelim will stand by us,” he added.
On Reginaldo’s decision to quit the TMC, Churchill said neither did Reginaldo inform him before joining the TMC nor did he tell him about the decision to quit the party. He said the party leaders will take a call on the candidate to be fielded by the party for the Curtorim seat.
