Captured by : Margao package
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On a typical Sunday morning, as Fatordekars were busy engaged in their household chores, local political players were on the field in the game of one-upmanship. While the Congress welcomed sworn enemies of MLA Vijai Sardesai with open arms, the Fatorda legislator was on the streets reviewing developmental works with his band of recently-elected Councillors. And, in an added twist to the political drama that unfolded in Fatorda, the Congress block President Tito Cardozo was conspicuous by his absence at the Congress membership programme, but was prominently seen along with the Independent MLA in the narrow lanes of the constituency, reports The Goan
The Congress leadership welcomed with flower bouquets sworn enemies of Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai in the party fold on Sunday as part of the party’s ambitious revival programme in Fatorda, even as party president Luizinho Faleiro urged the party workers to strengthen the party base in Fatorda ahead of the elections.
Without taking any names, but making it clear that the Congress party had co-operated with the third front proponents during last year’s Lok Sabha election only to be later stoned by the very same people, Faleiro said no Congressmen with self respect will allow and tolerate anyone using and abusing the party.
“Even I thought that we should not divide the secular vote. That is the reason why the Congress had co-operated during the Lok Sabha election. They also took our support during the Municipal election, but no sooner the results were out, they started labelling the Congress party a social club. They started stoning the very party which had cooperated with them. This is not acceptable,” Luizinho said, while addressing the newly-admitted leaders in the party fold along with their supporters.
Reminding that Fatorda had been a Congress stronghold since the time he had represented the constituency in the '80s, Faleiro said he was instrumental in planning and executing many a project in Fatorda during his tenure.
Those who joined the Congress were former Margao Municipal Chairpersons Piedade Norohna and Gonzaco Rebello, former councillor Joseph Silva, Camilo Barretto, Milly Andrade and others.
Addressing the workers, Piedade reminded how the then Congress general secretary had prevented her and many others from joining the Congress party.
“We will all work to strengthen the Congress party in Fatorda,” she promised the party president.
In his address, Joseph Silva underlined the need to strengthen the Congress, saying it is the only secular party which can give justice to all communities, including the Scheduled tribes, even as Gonzaco Rebello and Camilo Barretto called for unity to strengthen the party.
AICC secretary, Girish Chodankar said that both the BJP and the Independent MLA have failed to deliver the goods in Fatorda as per their manifesto, while calling upon workers to expose the failures.
Former MMC councillor Ethel Lobo said that those who are only buying votes will run for cover if everyone in Fatorda unitedly works to strengthen the Congress party, while PCC general secretaries Pratima Coutinho and Urfan Mulla also called for unity amongst Congressmen to take the party to greater heights.
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Even as GPCC Chief Luizinho Faleiro welcomed Vijai Sardesai’s sworn enemies into the Congress fold with roses, the Fatorda MLA along with his band of recently-elected Councillors hit the streets of Fatorda with his 'Sunday Dialogue' programme, as they vowed to liberate Fatorda of all garbage by December 19
As news of the Congress decision to admit his enemies into the Congress fold tricked in, the irrepressible MLA said the people of Fatorda had rejected the political garbage in the Municipal poll and vowed to liberate Fatorda of all garbage by December 19.
Commenting on the Congress membership programme in Fatorda, Vijai said the Congress has got down to revive its fortunes from Fatorda at a time when Goans at hoping that the Fatorda Forward model to take Goa forward.
“It is indeed surprising that the Congress had decided to revive itself from Fatorda when Goans are looking up to the Fatorda Forward model to be replicated across the state. The Congress game-plan is exposed simply because they did not seem fit to revive its fortunes from the 21 constituencies represented by the BJP,” he said.
Saying that he is not surprised at the names of people who have embraced the Congress, Vijai said “many of these people were either directly or indirectly associated with the BJP. May be the BJP has outsourced them to the Congress. Both the parties have been working hand in hand”.
His Councillors hailing from the Scheduled Tribe community also hit out at the Congress for admitting those who had opposed them in the Municipal poll. Councillor Peter Fernandes claimed that people, who had opposed them and supported the BJP, have found a place in the Congress.
“The Congress has taken the BJP B team in the party,” he said.
His Borda counterpart Jose Fernandes said the Congress has taken the rejected garbage into the party fold after they had failed to defeat them in the civic election.
Councillor Terrance Barbosa said the councillors have hit the streets to clear the garbage as people of Fatorda had rejected the political garbage.
“They had worked against me, but I have been elected with the highest margin,” Terrence added.
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As president of the Fatorda block Congress Committee, many a Congress worker had expected Tito Cardozo to share the dais at the party membership programme at the district party office on Sunday.
Tito, however, preferred to attend the Sunday Dialogue programme of Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai and the architect of the Goa Opposition Alliance at the Borda locality of the constituency, raising many an eyebrow in Congress circles over the development.
When The Goan contacted Tito for comments over his absence at the Congress membership program, the block president claimed he was not intimated of today’s programme arranged by the party leadership.
“No one informed me about today’s function. PCC President Luizinho Faleiro had called me on Friday to informed me about the membership programme on Saturday, but I replied him back saying I will be out of station on Saturday. I was not aware that the programme was postponed to Sunday,” he said.
Tito, however, said that he had received a message from an unknown number stating “Girish has told me to inform you regarding tomorrow’s meeting at 10 am on November 29 at the South district office regarding Fatorda block”.
On the admission of certain people in the Congress fold on Sunday, Tito said when he had contested against Vijai’s Fatorda Forward panel, these people had fought against him. “I am surprised that the Congress leadership has admitted the very people who went out to defeat me and others in the municipal election,” he lamented.
