MAPUSA
Ports Minister Michael Lobo on Monday said people of Goa will decide whether Congress will be relevant in the scheme of government formation in 2022 and that the grand old party missed the 2017 bus only because of too many claimants for the top job.
Lobo also said that there were too many parties in the fray this time and urged the people to elect good leaders who will do their work and take up issues crucial to Goa.
“It’s with the people of Goa. If the people of Goa want Congress to come back they will vote for Congress. If they want BJP to form the government then they will vote for BJP,” Lobo said.
The Ports Minister was responding to a query whether the disintegration of Congress would lead to Congress a mukt Goa in 2022.
Incidentally, Lobo’s response came a little before the breaking news about Curtorim’s Reginaldo Lourenco quitting as Congress MLA was flashed during the day.
According to the Ports Minister, who appears to be veering towards the grand old party, Congress messed up the 2017 mandate only because of too many leaders in the party who wanted to be the CM at that time.
“In 2017, when the people of Goa gave Congress 17 seats, NCP one seat and another two or three seats backed by the Congress, the grand old party was in the pole position to form the government. But there were too many leaders who wanted to become CM,” he said.
“If I am not allowed to become the CM, then (Congress) government should not be formed. That was the attitude and with that kind of attitude, you can never go ahead. People with that sort of attitude were in Congress then and that’s why they could not form the government in 2017,” he added.
He further informed that BJP capitalized on Congress’ crab mentality and took quick and incisive decisions.
“There were three leaders in Congress who wanted to become CM. I know because I was at the forefront. If they had zeroed in one leader then they could have formed the government. Since they had leadership issues, we (BJP) formed the government. I was part of it with Manohar (Parrikar) bhai to form the government,” Lobo disclosed.
However, the Calangute MLA, who appears to be disenchanted with the BJP and seems to be cosying up with Congress, refused to reveal his plans for the forthcoming elections.
“I am in the government. I am a member of the BJP,” he said when prodded whether he was likely to join the Congress.
Lobo also expressed concern about the presence of too many political parties in this election, which would only lead to a split in votes and help wrong leaders get elected.
