I am not going to stick to the seat forever. Just as people of Mapusa have elected me, let them say that they want a new face
- Francis D'Souza
MAPUSA: Dropping enough hints that he may not continue for another term, Urban Development Minister and Mapusa MLA Francis D’Souza on Monday said if voters of Mapusa wish, a new candidate could be propped up either from the councilors or from the BJP mandal.
“I am not going to stick to the seat forever. Just as people of Mapusa have elected me, let them say that they want a new face…a young face. I have already said after completing this term…or another, I will make way for someone else,” D’Souza said.
The Mapusa MLA was addressing a news conference in the BJP’s Mapusa office after the recent squabble between him and the Calangute MLA Michael Lobo.
Fifteen councilors of the BJP panel, independent councilor, Chandrashekar Benkar and the Mapusa BJP mandal president Damodar Lanjekar were also present. Rajsingh Rane of the BJP was not present as he is out of station.
Continuing further, D’Souza said after him there were 20 councillors and members of the BJP mandal in Mapusa and any one of them stood a good chance to be an MLA.
“If at all there is need for a change, one of them could easily take my place,” he said.
Backing D’Souza, BJP Mandal Chief Damodar Langekar said the allegations made against the Mapusa MLA were baseless.
“We don’t have to import a candidate for Mapusa. We are fully with our leader, Fancisco D’Souza,” Lanjekar said.
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Drugs and prostitution
rampant in Calangute,
not in Mapusa: Francis
MAPUSA: Training his guns against Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, Urban Development Minister and Mapusa MLA Francisco D’Souza said drugs and prostitution was rampant in Calangute, but Mapusa was free from the menace. “The Calangute MLA is on record that police were involved in drug trade and he would reveal their names. Why is he not revealing those names? Why are the police not taking his statement?” he quipped.
He said Mapusa has got more projects than any other constituency in the State and wondered what miracles had Lobo done in Calangute.
“Roads are in terrible condition and illegal activities such as land filling continue unabated in Calangute,” D’Souza alleged.
Alleging that the Calangute MLA had been threatening people, D'Souza added: “I received a lot of complaints against him. Even a priest has written to me about his illegal activities. I have forwarded them to the CM’s office,” the Mapusa MLA charged.
To a question if Lobo, after making uncharitable statements against him, was now targeting to destabilize the council, the Mapusa MLA said anybody was free to do so.
“Let him the target the council. Let him break it. We shall see…” D’Souza replied.
To another question, he said there could be a possibility that someone from the party was goading the Calangute MLA to target him.
“Yes and no. There could be a possibility that someone from the party is instigating him against me,” he said.
D’Souza appeared in no mood to forgive and forget his junior colleague when told that the party may work out some compromise between the two.
“Let him apologise first. I don’t know if an apology is going to satisfy me. My temperature has gone up. And once it goes up, it’s very difficult to bring it down,” he said.
