MARGAO
Nuvem MLA Mickky Pacheco’s plan to join the United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) may have received the green signal from party Secretary General Adv Anacleto Viegas, but the GVP Chief is unlikely to receive support from party senior vice-president, Radharao Gracias.
A day after he announced his decision to join the UGDP, Mickky descended at Radharao’s residence on Tuesday morning to hold discussion with the senior UGDP leader since the latter is believed to have already committed his support to NCP Nuvem candidate Vincent Rodrigues. In fact, The Goan understands that Radharao has moved around the areas of Majorda-Utorda-Calata, part of Nuvem constituency, to drum up support for Vincent’s candidature in the coming election.
While the Mickky-Radharao discussions centered on the issue of Radharao committing his support to Vincent, it is learnt that the UGDP senior vice-president has not committed any support to Mickky. On the contrary, Radharao made it plain clear to Mickky that he may not be in a position to support his candidature since he has already committed himself to back Vincent.
When The Goan contacted Radharao to shed light on the development, he confirmed that he has already committed to support Vincent for the Nuvem seat. “Mickky was not in the picture at all when I had decided to support Vincent. It is already too late since I had moved around in Majorda with Vincent,” Radharao said, adding that he has already kept party Secretary General Adv Anacleto Viegas informed on his stand vis-Ã -vis Mickky Pacheco.
When the media brought this situation to the notice of UGDP Secretary General Anacleto Viegas and what action will be initiated to bring Radharao to support Mickky’s candidature, he merely said the party will cross the bridge when it comes to it.
When asked further whether the UGDP will be able to act decisively to get Radharao to support Mickky’s candidature, Anacleto said the leadership will go as per the party constitution.
Meanwhile, addressing the media along with party president Dr Jorson Fernandes and Shravan Dubhashi, Anacleto said that while Mickky has returned back to the party fold, other leaders, who had left the party should follow suit.
Making an appeal to all leaders who had deserted the party in the past to return, Anacleto said, “Let us jointly fight the election. Let the good, bad and the ugly return back to the party fold. We will take all of them back for the good of Goa,” he said.
When his attention was drawn to Babush Monserrate’s decision to float the United Goans Party, Anacleto said Babush cannot inherit the United Goans which had saved the State from merger. “Babush has no character. All he has is vice,” he said, adding that the UGDP will even welcome Babush in the interest of Goa.
