MARGAO: After months of pursuing their ambitions with the Congress party and making it clear that they were interested in contesting on the Congress ticket, the Alemao brothers were at the receiving end of the Cuncolim and Benaulim Congress blocks decision making.
The Benaulim and Cuncolim blocks recently accepted and proposed names for nominations for the constituency ticket and the former MLAs Joaquim and Churchill did not make it to that list.
In Benaulim, block president Edwin Barreto was the single nomination for the Congress ticket. This was in the backdrop of speculation that former Varca sarpanch Anthony Pinto could also get the ticket in view of his good relations with the Congress and popularity in the village and it remains to be seen what he decides to do.
Barreto has been biding his time for years and was overlooked during the last election as the ticket was given to Valanka Alemao. However, this time around, it is clear that the old warhorse Churchill Alemao will be back, with or without a Congress ticket. He has announced that he will contest as an independent if he is denied a ticket, in a repeat of what happened in Fatorda, when his one-time close ally Vijai Sardesai fought and won against the official Congress nominee. Alemao’s triumphant return is, however, not at all a surprise, though the Varca strongman has plunged into his favourite contact — sport – meeting people.
At the same time, Alemao’s ‘omission’ from the nominations of candidates from the block is natural since he is not a member of the party yet.
It will be interesting to see how the battle lines are drawn as the Benaulim Congress block members have blamed Alemao for the defeat of the Congress in that constituency but critics question if Barreto will be able to take on the many candidates expected to contest from Benaulim.
Meanwhile, in Cuncolim, another erstwhile Congress bastion which fell to the anti-incumbency wave, the block led by its president and former Cuncolim Municipal council chairperson Lendry Mascarenhas, the other brother Alemao, Joaquim, found no favour and nor did former contestant John Monteiro.
Monteiro has also announced his plans to contest the elections irrespective of the Congress party’s decision. This could actually lead to not one, but two Congress rebels contesting against the party candidate.
The Cuncolim committee has sent three names as probable candidates. Zilla panchayat member Clafasio Dias, former CMC Chairperson Devendra Dessai and senior leader Altino Gomes.
While the supporters of Alemao claim that there has been match fixing done by GPCC vice president Moti Dessai, Joaquim has made it clear that he will contest on the ‘people’s ticket. This Alemao has his panel ruling the Cuncolim Municipal council and several panchayats in the village.
When AICC General Secretary Girish Chodankar, when asked to comment about the recent decisions connected to the Alemaos, said that the two of them are not primary members of the Congress party and so how could the blocks even think of them. He, however, said that blocks have to make the right choices.
“If they have made mistakes by ignoring capable candidates they should call another meeting and send a revised list”, said Chodankar, acknowledging that there have been complaints about block decisions across the state.
For the Alemao brothers though, a political life outside the Congress is a harsh reality they may well have to come to terms with.
