VASCO
They may have been bitter political rivals, but NCP State President Jose Philip D’Souza who had twice contested against governor-designate Rajendra Arlekar in 2002 and 2007 from Vasco was quick to congratulate Rajendra Arlekar on his appointment as governor of Himachal Pradesh.
"Arlekar is the first Goan politician to be appointed as governor of a state. Arlekar may be from the BJP, but he is a resident of Vasco and also a close friend, who was once a resident of my ward.”
“Arlekar has reached a very high position and made all of us Vascokars proud. We pray that God bless him in all his endeavours as he has the huge responsibility of being the governor of Himachal Pradesh," said D’Souza.
Incidentally, in his first innings as MLA in the 2002-07 term of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Arlekar suffered the ignominy of being disqualified by the high court on grounds that he held an "office of profit" while contesting the 2002 assembly elections from Vasco constituency.
The petition was successfully filed by Jose Philip D'Souza, who was Arlekar's nearest rival in that election.
