Mickky Pacheco at the South Goa district Congress office to take charge of Fatorda block operations. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO: A day after descending on Fatorda, newly inducted Congress leader Mickky Pacheco on Thursday asserted that he would make Fatorda Congress block so strong that the party will not only have its candidate in the fray but will win the seat in 2022.
“Do you think I would have gone to Fatorda if the party has any plans to leave Fatorda for Goa Forward Party? I know that Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai has proposed an alliance with the Congress to jointly fight the coming election. But, the Congress has a base in Fatorda. Once we strengthen the block, we will have the party candidate who will win the seat”, he said, adding “instead of going for an alliance, let Vijai Sardesai join the Congress party”.
Even before he formally joined the Congress, Mickky had opposed Congress alliance with other political parties, a stand similar to that adopted by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Girish Chodankar.
Mickky pointed out that he would not have visited Fatorda on Wednesday if the party had any plans to give the seat to Goa Forward or other parties. “You just wait for two weeks and you will find the Fatorda block reconstituted. We will then all go out to strengthen the party and work for the 2022 election”, he said.
To a question, the former minister said he will visit the Congress House in Panaji on Friday after paying homage to former Prime Minister, late Rajiv Gandhi. “I will discuss with party leaders on how to go about strengthening the blocks across the state. I have been told to build the party at the grass-root level and I have embarked on the mission, beginning from Fatorda”, he added.
When asked whether Mickky would stake claim for the party ticket, he shot back “Mickky need not stake claim for the ticket. You should know that Mickky is a senior politician, having won four elections since 2002. I need not stake claim for ticket. I have joined the Congress from Delhi. I know my strength and how I can contribute to strengthen the Congress”.
To a question, Mickky said he would go wherever he is being given assignments by the party leadership. “I will go to the blocks, including Fatorda and get more people into the party. We will soon start the membership drive and start house to house campaign”, he said.
