PWD minister refuses to accept Piexote as Navelim block Cong chief
MARGAO, JUNE 30
It’s testing time for the Congress leadership as a political war broke out between PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao group and supporters of Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and former MLA Luizinho Faleiro to control the Navelim Congress Block Committee and threatens to spill out in the party fora.
With Faleiro’s close aide Conceicao Piexote elected as the Navelim block Congress chief, a furious Alemao has told GPCC President Subhash Shirodkar not to recognise the new group headed by Piexote and has warned to appoint his own committees in the Assembly constituencies across Goa if his request is not met within 15 days.
Refusing to accept Piexote as the new block President, Churchill has told the GPCC president to recognise the block Committee headed by his close aide Lionel Raicar.
“I have told the GPCC President to recognise Raicar and his team as the real block Congress Committee. I have set a 15-day deadline on the party president to effect the changes or will go ahead in appointing Churchill-backed committees in all the constituencies”, the PWD Minister warned.
“How can Piexote be elected as the block president, when there exists a Committee headed by Raicar. This is not acceptable to me. I have told Shirodkar to recognise Raicar as the Block President within 15 days or else I will form committees across Goa”, he reiterated.
Asked to elaborate on his plans to appoint committees across Goa, Alemao said he has no plans to quit or weaken the Congress if his demand is not met, but hastened to add that he is free to have his own committees in all the Assembly constituencies.
Incidentally, Raicar was appointed the block President of the Navelim block by Shirodkar by dissolving the elected committee headed by Piexote last year. The GPCC President had effected the changes after Alemao bitterly complained of the rival faction led by CWC member Luizinho Faleiro calling the shots in the party fora even as he had defeated Faleiro in Navelim constituency.
Apart from the traditional Churchill-Luizinho rivalry, there’s no love lost between Alemao and Piexote as the latter during his previous tenure as the Navelim Block Congress President had turned out Alemao’s bitter critic.
Meanwhile, Piexote has claimed that he has been declared elected unopposed as the Navelim Block Congress Committee by Congress Returning Officer Shaikh Shabir at a meeting held at Davorlim Panchayat hall. Of the 28 booth Presidents and 28 delegates, 53 representatives were present for the meeting, he said.
Martino Rocha and Sunil Mane have been elected as vice-Presidents, while Chaya K Phade the block treasurer.
Another close Luizinho aide and Navelim Panch Schubert Furtado have been elected on the district committee along with Evaristo Soares, Leena F D’Costa, Sucorina Pereira and Kasim Sab Singergaon. Nancy C Estibeiro has been elected as the PCC member.
For Piexote, this is his third term as block president and comes against the backdrop of his unceremonious removal as the Navelim Block Congress president at the party President at the behest of Alemao.
