MARGAO
In an interesting development, dissident MLA of GVP from Benaulim Caitu Silva has sought the support and backing from the party for his candidature as he plans to contest the 2017 Assembly election as an independent candidate. Caitu met Mickky at his Betalbatim office and sought sought the latter’s support for his candidature as an Independent. Mickky is believed to have told Caitu that the GVP will field a candidate in Benaulim in the event he decides not to seek reelection on the party banner. “I have communicated to Caitu my personal opinion that if the Benaulim MLA does not want to contest the election on the party banner, the party will field a formidable candidate in Benaulim. I had represented Benaulim since 2002 wherein people of the constituency had always supported me,” Mickky said, adding though he is in favour of fielding a candidate in Benaulim on the GVP banner, he has left the issue to be decided by the party Executive Committee.
GVP EC is meeting soon to decide Caitu’s proposal. The Benaulim MLA said that it is for the GVP to take a decision on his proposal.
There’s been no love lost between the two since the 2012 election and their relationship hit a low after the Benaulim MLA threw his hat behind an Independent candidate in the ZP election after he made it clear to Mickky that he would not support any candidate on a party banner.
Meanwhile, asserting that GVP will go for an alliance with the Congress only on its own terms and conditions, Nuvem MLA Mickky Pacheco on Monday has dared the latter to cross the two-digit figure in the 2017 Assembly election, even as he announced plans to hold a party convention on October 23 and declare first set of 10 candidates for the coming poll.
The GVP supremo further said that MGP leader and PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar cannot become the Chief Minister because he cannot take all sections of the society along with him.
“The GVP is open for an alliance with the Congress only on condition that the national party promises to implement its party manifesto. If the Congress does not go for an alliance with other like-minded parties, the party will not cross the two-digit figure in the coming elections,” Mickky asserted at a media briefing.
He replied in the negative when asked whether the GVP has offered the alliance proposal to the Congress. The Nuvem MLA said that time has come for regional parties to come together and fight the national parties, since the latter have failed Goans in the last 15 years.
“Both the BJP and the Congress have failed to meet the aspirations of the people of Goa. They had promised special status, but have gone back on their word,” he said.
While terming the coming election as a second Opinion Poll in Goa’s history, Mickky made a fervent plea to the people to rally behind the
party and save Goa from destruction.
He slammed Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar for his failure on the tourism front. He challenged the minsiter to place before the people of Goa his efforts to bring more tourists in the last five years.
“September is about to end, but the shack owners are in a quandary. They have not received shack licenses when the season is about to commence. This is the state of affairs in the tourism department,” he said. Turning his attention back on the PWD Minister, he said Sudin will support anyone on condition he gets the PWD portfolio.
“Sudin has been holding the PWD portfolio irrespective of the government in power. These days he is in the news vying for the post of Chief Minister. He will never become the Chief Minister since he cannot take all sections of the people together,” he said, while referring to Sudin’s pro-Marathi stance.
