MARGAO
Former MLA Avertano Furtado’s entry into the Congress party on Tuesday has assumed political significance, but for another reason “ that the four MLAs from minority Salcete, who had enjoyed a honeymoon with the BJP, especially with the then Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar, are all finally back in the Congress fold.
Avertano Furtado (Navelim), Benjamin D’Silva (Velim), Caitu Silva (Benaulim) and Mickky Pacheco (Benaulim), both Goa Vikas Party MLAs, had extended support to the BJP after their election in 2012.
Riding to victory on a strong anti-Congress sentiment, the four MLAs were quick to extend their support to former Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Even though Parrikar had returned to power with a clear majority in the 40-member Legislative Assembly, the former Chief Minister inducted first-time MLA Avertano Furtado as a minister, ostensibly to give representation to minority Salcete in the cabinet.
Amongst the four former MLAs, Caitu Silva was the first to embrace the Congress on the eve of the 2019 Lok Sabha election to add strength to the Congress campaign in coastal Salcete.
Benjamin D’Silva followed suit only a couple of months ago, amidst objections from a section of Congress workers from Velim. Flamboyant Mickky Pacheco joined the party in Delhi in the presence of top Congress leaders around two months ago.
That all the four former MLAs, who had supported the BJP for five years between 2012-2017, have joined the Congress assumes significance given that the party top brass has now shut doors for the 10 Congress-turned-BJP MLAs, who had deserted the party in 2019.
