MARGAO
In an interesting political development, former two-time South Goa MP Churchill Alemao has said that he would vote for the Congress candidate Captain Viriato Fernandes in the May 7 Lok Sabha election.
Churchill, however, said he has not joined the campaign of the Congress candidate so far since no Congress leader has invited him to take part in the party’s election campaign.
Churchill, who was in Delhi with family members for a fortnight, returned home on Sunday, said that Captain Viriato had called to inform him that he is contesting the Lok Sabha election on the Congress ticket.
“I tried to contact Captain Viriato, but he is not picking up my phone. May be he has not lifted my phone at the behest of someone”, he said, while saying he would cast his vote for the Congress party.
When asked whether he would join the Congress campaign if he received an invitation to join the party campaign, Churchill shot back ,“How can I join the Congress campaign now since I was not invited for the Congress public meeting at Benaulim”.
Saying that he has always been with a secular party in his political innings, Churchill said he would not join the BJP campaign even if invited by the ruling party.
“I have not joined the BJP when late Manohar Parrikar had invited me to join the BJP and become a minister. Everyone had given me the green signal, except three persons, but I did not join the BJP”, he said, adding that his family will vote for the Congress candidate in the coming election.
“I have been a two-time Lok Sabha MP representing South Goa. I had defeated former Union Minister Eduardo Faleiro on the UGDP banner. Later, in 2004, I made it again to the Lok Sabha on the Congress ticket by defeating BJP sitting MP Ramakhant Angle”, Churchill recalled.
