MARGAO
Luchel Caminho de Monte, the Borda residence of Congress veteran Luizinho Faleiro is in the cynosure of all eyes.
And, the reason is not far too seek. Ever since the former Chief Minister played host to an I-PAC team at his residence a couple of days ago, speculations have been rife whether Faleiro will bid adieu to his decades-old ties with the Congress ahead of 2022.
In fact, Faleiro’s phone has not stopped ringing since then, with calls coming from party leaders from the national capital, besides his supporters and well-wishers from his home turf Navelim. His residence also played host to a stream of visitors, including party leaders and workers, anxiously trying to find out Faleiro’s future political plans.
And, Faleiro’s stoic silence on his political future, including the pertinent question whether he has any plans to embrace West Bengal, Mamata Didi’s political outfit Trinamool Congress (TMC), seems to have only added to the speculations. “I have only met members of the I-PAC team. I am not the only politician who had a meeting with I-PAC team. I have been told that the I-PAC team has had discussions with a host of political leaders, including Congress leaders”, Faleiro told The Goan at his residence on Thursday.
He, however, hastened to add: “I haven’t met any TMC team member till date”, even as he stonewalled any further queries on his purported flight to the TMC. He also preferred not to comment on reports that he along with a former Meghalaya Chief Minister have come on the TMC radar.
Anger, however, seemed brewing in the Faleiro camp over the way the Navelim MLA has been treated by the Congress leadership in the last four years and a half. “Faleiro has suffered silently since 2017 after leading the party in the polls, which saw the Congress party emerging as the single largest party”, he said. The aide added: “More than Faleiro, we have seen how the people who had given mandate to the Congress have suffered during the last four years and half, because the leaders wasted the mandate given to the party in 2017”.
Another supporter sought to blame the Congress leaders for squandering the mandate in 2017 just because Faleiro was all set to form the government. “The Congress mustered the magic figure of 21, but our very own leaders delayed in submitting the letter to the Governor just because Faleiro would assume office as the Chief Minister”, he said.
They now claim that these very same leaders have come together to lead the party with an eye on Chief Minister’s post if the party returns to power in 2022.
Political observers say there’s been no love lost between Faleiro and Opposition leader Digambar Kamat since 2017 after the Congress lost the opportunity to form the government despite having the magic figure of 21 MLAs. In fact, there’s a general feeling in the Faleiro camp that a coterie influenced the High Command to retain Girish Chodankar as the GPCC Chief to clear all hurdles for Digambar to stake claim to form the government if the Congress musters a simple majority.
Though Faleiro had gone public saying he has declined to accept the GPCC chief’s post and lead the party in 2022, sources said the former Chief Minister had rooted for a change in leadership preferably a minority face to keep the party core voter base in good stead, but in vain.
The Faleiro camp is closely watching the movements of certain elements, close to Congress leaders, working behind the scenes in Navelim, apparently to wean and lure away voters with a one-point agenda to defeat the former Chief Minister. “We have proof of how the henchmen of certain leaders are working overtime in Navelim to ensure Faleiro’s defeat in 2022. We have been told that some of these people called on observers lobbying for certain leaders. We have brought the matter to the notice of the party leadership”, informed an aide.
TMC leader in Goa; BJP also in touch:
What’s running on Luizinho’s mind?
MARGAO: As TMC leader Derek O’Brien landed at the Dabolim airport on Thursday noon, political observers are trying to figure out Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro’s political plan, and whether he is only trying to position himself in the party scheme of things to take on the party state leadership comprising of GPCC Chief Girish Chodankar and Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat.
Sources said High Command leaders are believed to have contacted Faleiro on Tuesday, while a senior MLA called on him at his residence later in the evening.
As the unfolding developments have thrown up a host of questions, sources said a couple of BJP leaders, who had established contacts with Congress leaders, apparently to explore the possibility of embracing the Congress, were also in touch with Faleiro.
Remarked a senior Congress leader: “Faleiro’s meeting with I-PAC team has only brought back the Congress leadership issue to the centre stage. The Congress cannot afford to lose a senior Catholic leader like Faleiro, more so, on the eve of the Assembly polls, when the party was being looked with suspicion for not promoting a minority face in the scheme of things”.
