MARGAO
The Congress party seemed working on plan B in Navelim.
With Congress veteran, MLA Luizinho Faleiro all set to join the TMC, the Congress leadership seems to have moved fast to rope in footballer-turned-politician and former minister Avertano Furtado to join the party.
In an apparent move to fill up the vacuum in the event Faleiro quits the party to embrace the TMC, the Congress leaders are believed to have called up Avertano and reportedly gave him an offer to join the party.
Confirming the development, Avertano said he has been approached by Congress leaders to join the party.
The former Minister said he has accepted the Congress party offer, but hastened to add that he will join the Congress after consulting his supporters and workers.
In fact, Faleiro's exit may open the doors of the Congress party for the former Independent MLA, who was not averse in joining the Congress, but could not do so since Faleiro was representing the constituency in the Legislative Assembly.
The former Minister had called on Faleiro at his residence last week just to find out the Navelim MLA's decision on the TMC party.
Avertano had emerged a giant killer in 2012 when he had defeated former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao from Navelim and rose to become a Minister in the Manohar Parrikar government.
