MAPUSA: There’s a unusual hush among the supporters of Calangute MLA Michael Lobo in the popular coastal belt of North Goa.
The State government’s decision not to elevate Lobo into a minister has not gone down with a cross-section of his supporters.
“Michael Lobo has always been proactive. He is hardworking and has been using innovative ways to carry on developmental works in the constituency. We are very disappointed that he has not been made a minister,” said Dattaprasad Dabholkar, Zilla Parishad member of
Calangute.
Dabholkar also said that the Calangute MLA’s involvement in grooming new leadership amongst the young members of Calangute panchayat clearly indicated that.
“He has been recruiting new leaders with a fresh mind to carry forward development of Calangute. Michael should have been given a chance to be minister. Like me, several people were hopeful that he would get the job,” the ZP said.
Candolim Sarpanch Blaize Fernandes also said supporters from all over Bardez and North Goa were very upset with the government’s decision not to induct Lobo into the cabinet.
“If they removed Francis D’Souza, then Michael Lobo should have been the one who should have been inducted. It was very bad on the part of the government not to make him a minister,” Fernandes said.
He also said most panch members from the four panchayats “ Candolim, Calangute, Arpora-Nagoa and Parra and other supporters, including people from Saligao, Mapusa, Aldona and Siolim, were upset because they had high hopes that the Calangute MLA would be made a minister.
Attempts to contact the Calanugute MLA, who is on a private visit to UK, were unsuccessful as messages and WhatsApp calls made to Lobo went unanswered.
