MARGAO
Asserting the Congress’ prospects of regaining the South Goa Lok Sabha seat are bright in the ensuing election, former Youth Congress President Valanka Alemao on Wednesday made it clear to the party leadership that she cannot be held responsible or blamed if her father Churchill Alemao had switched political parties in the past.
And, Valanka, who has staked claim for the Congress ticket, has said that the Congress party leadership should ensure that a capable candidate and one who has worked at the grassroots should be nominated for the party ticket for the South Goa Lok Sabha seat.
Saying that she has called on most of the party leaders in support of her candidature, Valanka said she may be the daughter of Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao, but asserted that she has not entered politics just like that, but has come up from the grassroots. “I may be the daughter of Churchill Alemao, who was a former Chief Minister, a two-time former MP and present MLA of Benaulim constituency, but there’s no rocket science behind my place in politics. I have come up from the grassroots,” she asserted.
Saying that she felt hurt when some persons raised questions over her membership of the Congress party, Valanka added she had not only worked at the grassroots level for the Congress, but has been responsible for nurturing many a young leader during her stint as Youth Congress president. Citing the example of Haseeba Amin, who later made it big in the Congress party at the national level, Valanka said she had got Haseeba in the Congress during her stint. “It hurts when someone raises a question on your membership of the party. But, I will always remain loyal to the Congress no matter the offers made by other political parties,” she added.
The former Youth Congress president wondered why only she has been singled out on the question of party membership. “Is Adv Cleofato Coutinho a member of the Congress party? And, what about Mahadev Naik, who has just a few days ago quit the BJP to join the Congress?” she questioned, while reminding that Subhash Shirodkar, who had recently quit the Congress to join the BJP, was a former Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president.
