Denying charges of corruption in Calangute under his watch during his stint as its MLA, former minister Michael Lobo said all his businesses have been set up with clean money and he is ready to face the various central agencies that would be unleashed on him by a “vindictive BJP” for leaving the party and joining Congress.
Speaking in the latest edition of ‘Goa wants to know’ on Herald TV, Lobo explains his political journey, the role of Manohar Parrikar in shaping his career, and why he decided to dump BJP and embrace Congress.
“We all joined BJP for Manohar Parrikar when BJP wasn’t at the Centre. We knew only Manohar Parrikar in Goa. Earlier people did not want to touch BJP, till Parrikar came to the scene. He brought everyone together. He gave us confidence and united the people of Goa, irrespective of caste, religion.
Control of govt by super CM
“Dr Pramod Sawant was being totally controlled by a ‘super CM’. He wears a white bandi. We call him the ‘bandi-man’. Even (former CM) Laxmikant Parsekar directly referred to him when he left the party. He interfered in every aspect of governance. We had serious reservations about it, which was conveyed to the party president and other core-committee members of the party. But they had no control over him.
The role of Lobo is exercising control over Bardez candidates
“I don’t want to control people or constituencies. I have only helped the Congress party identify good MLA candidates who can win against BJP, whether it is Sudhir Kandolkar in Mapusa, Kedar Naik in Saligao, Advocate Carlos Ferreira in Aldona. My wife is also a good candidate. She has her own identity,” the ex-MLA said.
Lobo, the Deputy Speaker when 10 Congress MLAs defected says he is against defections
Despite being accused as “architect of defections” by 10 Congress MLAs, Lobo categorically said he was against defection.
“The 10 MLAs were led by Babu Kavlekar and Babush Monserrate. They were the architects of the defection. I was told by CM that these 10 MLAs were joining. But at that time itself, I had protested. I was not comfortable with anybody defecting without resigning. BJP wants to destroy Congress. If it is not through electorate voting, then they do it through defections.
The shadow of Lobo going back to BJP post polls looms large. He responds
I took a call to leave the party. “BJP is a vindictive party. I have lot of businesses. They will target me. I am ready to face it. All the businesses that I do are from legal money. It is not that I have amassed wealth by indulging in illegal activities. People say I have assets worth crores. Those assets valued lesser in 2012 when I first filed nominations to contest for Assembly elections. Today the value of same assets has appreciated”
He said there is no question of him leaving the party and going to the BJP “Where is the question. I have taken an oath at Mahalakshmi (revered temple) and at Church. I have come here to play long innings and that means till I retire from politics
“I have come to Congress. I know all the central agencies like the Income Tax or Enforcement Directorate will be unleashed on me. But I will not get disturbed. I have come to stay in Congress Now after 15 years, I rejoined Congress to play a long innings till my retirement” he asserted
Lobo’s alleged role in the
concretization of Calangute
There are allegations that have followed Lobo like a shadow that he has converted Calangute into a concrete jungle through rampant construction, zone changes, converting pristine fields into construction hubs.
“All this was happening even when I took over as MLA of Calangute 2012. We helped people to have a higher Floor area ratio (FAR) from 80 to 100 so that they could rebuild their existing houses and guest houses nicely. We have planned the village in such a way that there would be football grounds. We have identified parking spaces. We have not converted any fields into concrete structures. The fields about which people are talking, already have houses on them, which has been shown as settlement. No field has been given to build commercial structures,” Lobo said.
‘Can’t stop a Goan from
selling land’
It is alleged that under Lobo’s watch builder lobby from outside has taken control over Calangute, which has led to rampant construction. But Lobo denies the allegation.
“It is the Goans themselves who have sold their lands to outsiders. How can I as an MLA or the government ban a Goan from selling land to a fellow Indian?
Reason for joining Congress
“I have joined Congress as it has only one senior leader than me, Digambar Kamat. All the other members are new,” he said.