MAPUSA
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) had asked Luizinho Faleiro to take over the reins of the Congress party in Goa, said former Calangute MLA and GPCC, General Secretary Agnelo Fernandes.
“When I brought to the attention of Rahul Gandhi that Luizinho Faleiro was sidelined in the party, he expressed surprise and said that Faleiro was offered the position of president’s post in Goa Congress,” said Fernandes, who met Rahul Gandhi at his residence in Delhi on Tuesday.
After Faleiro and some of his close aides quit Congress on Monday, Fernandes was summoned to the national capital by the AICC.
Refusing to share any further details on his discussion with Gandhi, the former Calangute MLA said that Gandhi has promised to reward “loyalty” and “sincerity”.
“We discussed issues concerning the party in Goa which I cannot share with you. But Rahul Gandhi stressed on loyalty and sincerity,” he said.
Fernandes also met senior election observer for Goa and former union minister, P Chidambaran and AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal in the national capital.
The former Calangute MLA, who is close to Luizinho Faleiro and even addressed a press conference in favour of Faleiro a day before he quit as the MLA, told The Goan that he would never resign from Congress.
“I will never quit the Congress party. I am a Congressman and will remain with the party,” Fernandes said.
On whether he was likely to be offered any additional responsibility in the State, he said, it was for the party to decide.
