MARGAO
In fact, strong contender for the Benaulim Congress ticket was all bracing up to take on former PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao, in the February 4 election on the Congress banner when news trickled in from Delhi that the party leadership has finally settled in favour of Edwin. Even the Congress leaders, opposed to the former PWD Minster, had called Maria two days ago just to inform her to be ready for the electoral battle.
A day after the Congress denied her the ticket and settled for Edwin, Maria has apparently taken in her stride the Congress party’s last-minute decision, but the battle seems far from over. After coming a long way, Maria is ready for the February 4 electoral battle. She was spotted at the South Goa District Collectorate on Monday and inquiries only revealed that she has collected a copy of the nomination form, indicating that she is getting ready for the big battle.
Benaulim Block Congress President, Edwin Barretto, is believed to have made a plea to her not to take any drastic decision after she lost the race to him. Maria, however, appears firm. Her supporters and close aides are believed to have given her the green signal to move ahead and take the electoral plunge in the ensuing election.
As news spread across Benaulim constituency and outside that the Congress leadership for obvious reasons has settled for a weak candidate in Edwin Barretto, Maria has not stopped getting calls from her friends and well wishers.
Maria made her presence felt at the shrine of St Jose Vaz at Pulvaddo-Benaulim on Monday evening for the feast of the Saint, where her well-wishers asked her one question as to how she lost the race to Edwin when she was perceived as a candidate formidable enough to take on the former PWD Minister.
“I have no idea how the Congress leadership snatched the ticket from me when everything went my way till the last. I had even received calls from senior Congress leaders to start the campaign since it was just a formality that my name would be declared anytime by the leadership,” she said.
While admitting that she has taken a nomination form from the office of the Returning officer, Maria said she has decided to contest the coming election. The only question now left is whether she would take the plunge as an independent or on a party banner, a question that would be decided latest by Tuesday.
