the goan I networkMARGAO In a major development in the Cuncolim Congress, two-time former MLA and former Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao has failed to get a recommendation from the Cuncolim block Congress committee for the party ticket to contest the 2017 Assembly election. Joaquim, however, remained unfazed. He told The Goan on Tuesday that he would wait for the Congress high command to take a call or else threatened to contest as an Independent. Besides Alemao, the block also did not consider the names of Adv John Monteiro and Mervyn D Souza. Block President, Landry Mascarenhas told The Goan that the block has recommended the names of three candidates “ senior Congressman Altinho Gomes, strong ticket contender Clafacio Dias and former Cuncolim Municipal Chairperson Devendra Desai. Landry said Alemao s name had not been recommend on grounds that the block had in the past passed a resolution to give the Congress ticket to a worker from Cuncolim itself. “As far as John Monteiro is concerned, he had contested the 2012 election as an Independent and was responsible for the defeat of the party candidate. Since Monteiro has now joined the Congress, he should work for the party”, Landry said, while justifying the decision not to recommend the names of both Joaquim and Monteiro. When The Goan contacted Joaquim Alemao for his comments, he expressed shock and surprise. “I have been a loyal soldier of the party. I had in the past saved the Congress government from being dislodged by the Opposition. I am indeed surprised that the Cuncolim block has not recommended my name for the ticket”, he said. Joaquim, however, said that since he had submitted his application for the party ticket not only to the block, but to the district committee and the Pradesh Congress committee, he would expect the party leadership to do justice to his candidature. “I will wait for the Congress high command to decide on my application. If the high command says that I cannot be considered for the party ticket, I will contest as an Independent”, Joaquim asserted. That the name of Clafacio Dias is figuring in the list indicates that he has emerged as a strong contender for the ticket. Clafacio was amongst the new faces groomed and promoted by Luizinho Faleiro for the 2017 Assembly election. Clafacio has also received strong support from Faleiro s close aide Moti Desai, besides the Cuncolim block president Landry Mascarenhas.
Cong ticket: Joaquim virtually shown the door in Cuncolim
Altinho, Clafacio, Devendra main contenders
