MARGAO
State’s lone Nationalist Congress Party MLA Churchill Alemao joined the Trinamool Congress on Monday in the presence of TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at an impressive meeting on Dando grounds in Benaulim.
Asserting the Trinamool Congress has formed an alliance with political parties in Goa to defeat the BJP in the 2022 Assembly polls, TMC leader Mamata Banerjee has thrown open the doors of the alliance to other likeminded parties, including the Congress, to join the alternative to end the BJP rule in the state.
Asserting that the TMC has become an alternative in Goa after forming an alliance with the MGP and will bring on board other parties such as the Forward and the NCP, Mamata said all parties should come and join the alliance if they don’t want to divide the anti-BJP vote.
Addressing a well-attended meeting of the TMC on the Dando grounds, Benaulim, held to induct Churchill and daughter Valanka into the party, Mamata, cautioned that no party should think they are the zamindars in a democratic set-up.
“We do not want to talk against the Congress. If the Congress thinks they want to work to defeat the BJP, we have no issue. We have formed the alliance with the MGP and will take the Forward and 4-5 parties together to form an alternative. If the Congress wants to join us, we have no problem,” she said.
She added: “The TMC has become an alternative along with the TMC, MGP and other parties such as Forward and NCP coming together. This is a potential alliance. We will not allow the BJP to come to power in Goa, UP, Punjab and other states.”
Saying she had quit the Congress in 1998 to protest against having an understanding with the Left despite the atrocities on the common man, Mamata said the TMC is now deeply rooted with the common man of Bengal.
A day after announcing the scheme for women, Mamata said the TMC will unveil schemes for the youth, students, fishermen and the fishing sector, transport workers and small businesses. “We will do our best for the people of Goa. Goa is a small state and Goa means the sunrise of India,” she said.
Maintaining that the entry of Churchill and Valanka into the party was just a beginning, the WB Chief Minister said this is the beginning of the end of the BJP in Goa. “Goans will rule themselves. The CM will be a Goan. We will only help you to save your environment and your beaches, churches, temples, masjids and gurudwaras and to provide a good administration,” she said, while exuding confidence the TMC will win the 2022 election.
In his address, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the BJP must have turned jittery after seeing the huge crowd at Benaulim. Assuring the people that the TMC will not barter the people’s mandate like the Congress did in 2017, Abhishek said the TMC will fight till the last to save Goa.
Addressing his supporters, Churchill Alemao said he has decided to join the TMC given that the Congress and NCP dragged their feet for one year over the question of alliance. He said he chose TMC given Mamata Didi’s relentless battle against the BJP.
In her address, Valanka said the people of Goa are looking for a change, even as she charged the Congress for having personal agenda against party leaders.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Luizinho Faleiro said the Congress cannot bring about a change in Goa, more so after the suspicious manner in which the party had wasted the mandate in favour of the BJP.
TMC Goa in-charge, MP Mahua Moitra, besides former Benaulim Sarpanch Ashok Audi, Lina Rebello and others also spoke.
