MARGAO
Exactly 14 years ago, United Goans Democratic Party ideologue and senior vice-president Radharao Gracias gave his green signal to a proposal to field a political novice and then USA-returned Mickky Pacheco to contest the 2002 Assembly election on the Two Leaves symbol and take on the might of Churchill Alemao for the Benaulim seat.
Radharao’s gamble clicked with a huge success with Mickky emerging a giant killer as he cut short Churchill’s long political innings in what was once considered the Varca strongman’s bastion. Fourteen years down the line, Radharao is no mood to relent and join party secretary general Anacleto Viegas in welcoming Mickky into the UGDP to contest the 2017 Assembly election from Nuvem.
Drawing poll strategies from his home village Majorda, Radharao has instead firmly rallied behind close friend and NCP’s probable candidate for the Nuvem seat, Vincent Rodrigues. And, a day after making amply clear that he will not support Mickky in Nuvem on the UGDP banner, Radharao Gracias has further hardened his stand against the Nuvem MLA. In fact, he does not mince words when he asserted “let Mickky contest from Nuvem and we will see how he wins the seat.”
Throwing his weight behind the NCP probable candidate, Radharao says that Vincent had been active for quite sometime, working independently in Nuvem without the support of any political party. “Vincent has been active here since the last one year and half. He has been my long-time friend and had supported me in my election in the past. I had assured him of my support irrespective of the party he decides to contest because the UGDP had no plans to contest in Nuvem,” he said.
While admitting that the equation may change if Mickky returns back to the UGDP fold, Radharao made it clear that he would continue to support Vincent come what may, even going to the extent of saying that Nuvem is longing for a change and Vincent’s candidature is the best among the available lot.
Incidentally, Radharao wants the UGDP leadership to leave Nuvem to him to take a call since he lives in the constituency. “I will be putting my views before the party before Mickky joins the party. But I want to make clear that the party should leave the decision on Nuvem to me,” he said, adding “if Mickky just wants to jump on the UGDP bandwagon, that does not mean we should support him.”
That Radharao has conveyed a message loud and clear that he is vehemently opposed to Mickky contesting on the UGDP banner became evident when he asserted that Nuvem has not seen
much progress during Mickky’s
tenure.
He also recalled how Mickky went with the BJP during the Lok Sabha poll despite the fact that the ruling party did not field a Catholic candidate in the election from
South Goa.
“I had told Mickky not to support the BJP in the 2014 Lok sabha election because it was for the first time since Liberation that Catholics would go without representation in Parliament. I had supported Congress candidate Reginaldo Lourenco precisely because the BJP had taken advantage of the Catholic community. They did not field a Hindu in North and a Catholic in South,” he recalled, adding, “Mickky at that time did not listen to me and today I see no reason why should we support him. We will oppose him in Nuvem.”
Viola quits GVP, but party says
not in receipt of resignation
MARGAO: Ahead of Thursday’s executive committee meeting of the Goa Vikas Party called to discuss Nuvem MLA Mickky Pacheco’s proposal to merge the party into the United Goans Democratic Party, GVP president and Mickky’s wife Viola quit from the top post as well as from the membership of the party.
Mickky told The Goan that a messenger had sent Viola’s resignation to the residence of Party General Secretary Lyndon Monteiro, but could not be delivered since there was no one at his house to accept the resignation. The resignation will now be delivered to the general secretary and the party on Thursday, Mickky said.
“We have finally decided to sever ties with the Goa Vikas Party. Viola will not be attending tomorrow’s meeting of the GVP Executive committee since her presence will not serve any purpose,” Mickky said.
Lyndon, on the other hand, said neither he nor the party is in receipt of Viola’s resignation. He pointed out Thursday’s meeting of the GVP executive committee will take place, irrespective whether Viola has quit the post of party president or from the primary membership of the party.
Sources in the GVP informed that Viola must have taken the decision to quit ahead of the party executive committee meeting since majority of the members are strongly aligned to the Lyndon group to retain the identity of the GVP come what may.
Interestingly, Mickky claimed that though the GVP has fixed the meeting of the party executive committee on Thursday, Viola has not received a copy of the notice till Wednesday evening.
