MARGAO
This was former Urban Development Minister and two-time Cuncolim MLA Joaquim Alemao’s second successive defeat in the hustings from Cuncolim, but the heavyweight politician has no plans to retire at least in the immediate future.
Joaquim, sources said, is keen to have younger son Yuri step in his shoes, but the change isn’t going to come soon as has been widely anticipated in Cuncolim political circles post-March 11 election results. With the Panchayat election round the corner, Joaquim will hit the villages in Cuncolim constituency with son Yuri in tow. “I have no plans to retire from active politics at least for the time being. My supporters and well wishers want me to play my role in Cuncolim politics. Many of our supporters have expressed their wish to contest the ensuing Panchayat election, and I have decided to back them to the hilt,” Joaquim told The Goan.
Though Joaquim made no bones of the fact that he wants son Yuri to take his place in Cuncolim, the former Urban development Minister made it clear that the change will not take place so soon.
“I will continue to make my presence felt in Cuncolim. Though I lost the race by a whisker, the result only went to show that people of Cuncolim clearly wanted me to return and represent them again in the constituency,” Joaquim added.
Outlining the reason behind his shock defeat, Joaquim said the pro-Congress wave across the State helped his rival Congress nominee and friend-turned-foe Clafacio Dias to romp home to victory with a slender margin. “Despite the pro-Congress wave, I came close to regain the seat. This only goes to show that people wanted my return to Cuncolim constituency,” he added.
Incidentally, while Joaquim put up a splendid performance in the Cuncolim Municipal area, leaving the Congress MLA way behind, he, however, could not make inroads in the villages of Macazana, Guirdolim, Chandor, Paroda and Ambaulim, where the people stood by Clafacio Dias.
Sources said that the father-son duo of Joaquim and Yuri are expected to maintain the tempo in Cuncolim constituency, beginning with the ensuing Panchayat election. It’s an open secret that the father-son duo enjoys excellent relations and share
close rapport with Goa Forward Party supremo and TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai. Against this backdrop, sources say, the possibility of the Alemaos using their relationship to usher in the development of Cuncolim constituency cannot be ruled out in the future.
