How would the Opposition go about in the coming session of the Goa Legislative Assembly with Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai summoning the Assembly on February 2? Well, this question has come to the fore given that relations amongst leaders of the opposition parties, especially between Goa Forward chief Vijaibab Sardesai and Opposition leader Yuribab Alemao had come under strain in recent times. Against the backdrop of a lack of coordination amongst the opposition leaders at the fag end of the last Assembly session, will the opposition members leave behind their differences and make common cause to take the government head-on. Time will tell.
Comeback kings? Sardinha, Churchill eye Lok Sabha poll
Politicians do not retire, they say. In fact, it’s not uncommon to find politicians returning to electoral politics after announcing their retirement. In the runup to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, two Saxtti political heavyweights have come under the spotlight – sitting MP Francisbab Sardinha and former MP Churchillbab Alemao. Sources say the duo had in the recent past and on different occasions announced plans to retire from electoral politics, but they seemed gearing up to contest the Lok Sabha polls. If Sardinhbab had announced that the 2019 Lok Sabha polls would be the last election in his career spanning over 40 years, Churchillbab had gone around Benaulim countryside in the 2022 Assembly that he would not contest elections any more. Any questions?
Snubbed or self-exclusion? Carlos missing in action in Delhi
It was a week when Congress leaders, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) chief Amitbab Patkar, Opposition leader Yuribab Alemao and party MLA Altonbab D’Costa were in the national capital, calling on newly-appointed Congress observer for Goa, Manikrao Thakre. What about Congress's Aldona MLA, Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira? Why was he conspicuous by his absence at the AICC headquarters? And, was he intentionally not invited by the party leadership to Delhi along with other party leaders? These questions swirled through political circles both within and outside the Congress. Time will tell what played out behind the scenes.
With one eye on LS ticket, Girish begins NE mission
Ex-GPCC chief Girishbab Chodankar began the New Year with his new assignment as the in-charge of the four north-eastern states -- Tripura, Sikkim, Manipur and Nagaland. On New Year's Day, the Congress Working Committee member took a flight to Manipur to take stock of the political situation. This is Girishbab’s first visit to the northeast after his appointment as the in-charge of the four states. He will return to Manipur in the coming days with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi all set to launch his Manipur-Mumbai yatra from mid-January. Girishbab had proceeded on a long leave to gear up for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, having eyes on the South Goa seat. The leave seemed to have come in handy for him to make frequent visits to the northeast ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Any questions?
Aleixo's New Year gift: Water tanks for Nuvem households?
Is Cong-turned-BJP MLA and Environment Minister Aleixobab Sequeira planning a New Year gift for the constituents of Nuvem? If sources are to be trusted, the Nuvem MLA has drawn up plans to provide overhead water tanks through the Public Works Department to the people facing water shortage in the constituency. Aleixobab was heard requesting some of the Sarpanchas from the Nuvem constituency at his weekly Friday Darbar to conduct a survey to identify houses in the constituency facing water scarcity and those households which do not have overhead tanks for water storage. Wait and watch if the plan comes to fruition.
