PANAJI
Close on the heels of her crushing defeat in the Zilla Panchayat by-election, Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress President resigned from the primary membership of the Congress on Friday and joined the Aam Aadmi Party in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the national capital.
In a tweet she said, "I Adv Pratima Betsy Coutinho hereby tender my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress with immediate effect".
She had recently contested the Zilla panchayat by-election from Navelim constituency but had lost to Edwin Cardozo.
Coutinho had publicly criticized the Congress MLA and senior party leader Luizinho Faleiro for allegedly not campaigning for her during ZP polls at Navelim.
Welcoming Coutinho in AAP, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “Really happy to welcome one of the most dynamic young leaders of Goa Pratima Coutinho to AAP. Goa wants change, Goa wants young leaders like her to represent the Aam Aadmi of Goa.
Congress, meanwhile appointed Beena Shantaram Naik as in-charge President of Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress. An office order to this effect was issued by Sushmita Dev, National President of All India Mahila Congress.
GPCC President Girish Chodankar said that Pratima’s tenure of three years as president was over. “We have not received her resignation letter as yet,” he said. Luizinho Faleiro had worked for her in ZP polls, her claim that he had not done so was not correct, he added.
