PANAJI
Three to four Congress MLAs raised the demand for resignation of Luizinho Faleiro as the president of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee yet again during a meeting of 14 Congress MLAs with Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate in the presence of All India Congress Committee secretary in-charge of Goa desk Dr A Chellakumar.
The meeting was held on Thursday at the Monserrate’s residence to discuss the possibility of a party ticket at the upcoming Panaji bypolls for the former St Cruz Congress MLA.
Commenting on the demand for Faleiro’s resignation, AICC secretary Chellakumar stated, “I met a lot of MLAs and we discussed various issues one-on-one and together as a group. Faleiro had submitted his resignation to the party high command a year ago and Sonia Gandhi should take a call on that. I don’t recall any such demands by the MLAs.”
However, highly placed sources who participated in the meeting revealed that those who demanded Faleiro’s resignation include St Andre MLA Francis Silveira, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes, while another MLA from South Goa showed willingness to join the bandwagon.
It was further disclosed that the demand sprung from projections and calculations offered by Monserrate to support his claim that he will bring down the present coalition government within one month, if he is elected from Panaji.
Monserrate assured the assembled Congressmen that if he contests, he will contest on Congress ticket and once elected, he will secure the support of three MLAs each of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Goa Forward Party and two independent MLAs to form a Congress government.
Nationalist Congress Party’s lone MLA Churchill Alemao has yet to figure in Monserrate’s math.
The Taleigao strongman, however, also presented a list of demands. “The first of these was that once formed, the Congress government would be led by the Goa Forward Party with GF supremo Vijai Sardessai as the Chief Minister. The second demand was that the remaining seven non-Congress MLAs would be sworn in as cabinet ministers. Last demand was for the resignation of the present GPCC president Faleiro and an assurance from him that he would remain out of the race for the chief ministerial chair so as to make way for his rival, the Fatorda MLA,” a source confided.
Interestingly, it may be recalled that on March 12 when the then AICC in-charge of Goa desk Digvijaya Singh conducted a ‘secret ballot’ for selection of the leader of Congress Legislative Party (CLP), an overwhelming majority was in favour of Faleiro. Of the 17 MLAs, 11 had voted for Luzinho, while three each sided with Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Poriem MLA Pratapsing Rane.
Faleiro has since relinquished his candidature for the big office in a public statement. On Monday, he also hinted at the possibility of a new GPCC president by mid-October.
Speaking to The Goan, Faleiro stated, “My resignation is pending with the high command for almost a year now. I can submit another if it would satisfy my colleagues and get our government installed. I am ready to quit any position if it means Congress government would be sworn in.”
He said that the high command, while rejecting his resignation, had assigned him the task of ensuring Congress victory at Goa polls. “I feel my job is over,” Faleiro declared.
