Luizinho ready to contest polls if Sonia says so
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, AUG 7
He may have consciously stayed away from State politics since his defeat in the 2007 hustings, but former chief minister, Luizinho Faleiro says he is not averse to returning to State politics and even contest the next Assembly polls if Congress President Sonia Gandhi asks him to do so.
Faleiro’s statement assumes significance as speculations are rife in political circles that the senior Congress leader and Congress Working Committee member would either contest the polls from Navelim or Fatorda constituency.
At an informal interaction when newsmen asked his reaction to reports that he would contest the polls from Navelim or Fatorda, a guarded Faleiro said “I have not given any attention to this matter. Presently, Congress President Sonia Gandhi has appointed me as the CWC member, the highest body of the Congress. You must be knowing that Ms Gandhi has given me certain responsibilities of the party”.
Faleiro, however, said “if Ms Gandhi tells me to go to Goa and serve the people of the State, I will have to obey her decision”, indicating that he is not averse to returning to State politics in the future.
He said that he has been carrying out the responsibilities bestowed on him by the Congress president to serve the party at the national level.
The former chief minister, however, declined to answer a question whether he would prefer Navelim or Fatorda to contest the polls.
Meanwhile, expressing satisfaction that the Goa Government has introduced reservation of seats for the Scheduled Tribes in the ensuing Municipal polls, Faleiro said the time has come to demand reservation of seats for the STs for the Assembly polls.
He said the Government should undertake a thorough study before reserving the Municipal wards for the Scheduled Tribes.
He recalled that he had led a delegation to the Sonia Gandhi early this year with various demands pertaining to the ST community and has assured his full support for the demand of reservation of seats for the STs in the Assembly.
Faleiro recalled that he had taken the initiative in the past to provide reservation of seats for the OBCs and was instrumental in forming the ST and OBC Corporation. “We have to demand with the Centre to reserve seats for the ST community”, he added.
Faleiro said he has not yet accepted the Chairmanship of the Goa SC, ST, OBC Federation till date. “I had taken a delegation of the Federation to Sonia Gandhi and Union ST Minister. The Federation had planned a shibir in the State, but it was postponed due to the Zilla Panchayat polls”, he added.
