MARGAO
It was ghar wapsi for ex-Curtorim Zilla Panchayat member Moreno Rebello as he returned to the Congress fold on Friday a day after quitting the ruling BJP.
After being welcoming into the party fold by Curtorim block president Milagres Fernandes at the South Goa district Congress office on Friday evening, Moreno told the media his entry into the Congress is unconditional and without any deal with the party leadership.
He said he would not shy away from contesting the ensuing polls on the Congress banner if his name is recommended by the Curtorim block.
Saying he has returned back to the Congress fold with the blessings of GPCC chief Girish Chodankar, Opposition leader Digambar Kamat and Curtorim Congress workers, Moreno further said he would call on South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha on Sunday.
“I would like to make it clear there’s no deal between me and the Congress party. I have not put any condition to the Congress to give the ticket to me. If the block recommends my name and if my candidature is accepted by the party leadership, I will take up the responsibility for the party,” he said.
Saying he has committed a mistake by joining the BJP around 20 days ago, Moreno said the mistake will not be repeated in the future.
When asked whether it would be fine if the Congress decides to nominate his wife, Michel Rebello, who is representing the Curtorim ZP constituency, Moreno said, “My wife is an individual. She has to take her own decision. It is for her to take a call if the party decides to nominate her for Curtorim.”
Wife Michel, who was present at the programme, welcomed Moreno into the Congress family. “Moreno was upset after the way things were going on in the country after Christmas. People were critical of Moreno just because he was in the BJP. On the other hand, the promised work did not start in the constituency,” she added.
To a question, Michel said though she was not told by the BJP leadership to join the BJP, she was clear in saying it would have eventually come from the ruling party in the run up to the Assembly election. She, however, asserted she would not have joined the BJP.
Party leaders absent at programme of ex-ZP member’s return
MARGAO: Moreno Rebelo’s ghar wapsi into the Congress turned out a low key affair with neither any leader from the Pradesh Congress Committee nor from the South district Congress committee present for the programme.
In fact, the honour of welcoming Moreno back into the party went to the Curtorim block president Milagres Fernandes in the presence of Moreno’s ZP wife Michel, Curtorim Sarpanch Milagres Rodrigues, Deputy Sarpanch Simon Baretto. Shivani was the lone district Committee member present, while prominent names such as GPCC chief Girish Chodankar, Opposition leader Digambar Kamat, district president Joe Dias and others were conspicuous by their absence. Moreno, however, downplayed the absence of party leaders, saying most of the leaders were preoccupied with one programme or the other. On the other hand, he said he wanted to join the Congress on Friday itself so that he charts out a new course in the New Year.
