TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Congress party dissidents, who were shown the door by former party president John Fernandes for their anti-party activities, on Tuesday, shared the dais with newly appointed Chief Luizinho Faleiro, sending clear signals that their re-entry into the party was at hand. Even those Congressmen, who had distanced themselves post March 2012 Assembly elections, re-united in the Congress House Tuesday morning to welcome their new leader.
Faleiro took over charge as Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president at a grand function held in city, Tuesday. The function was attended by Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Pratapsing Rane along with other MLAs. However, due to prior commitments MLA Digambar Kamat and Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco did not attend the ceremony. The absence of Dabolim MLA and Congress rebel Mauvin Godinho did not surprise anyone.
It was surprising to see the presence of party dissidents such as former MP Francisco Sardinha, ex-ministers Ravi Naik, Aleixo Sequeira, Joaquim Alemao and former South Goa president Subhash Faldessai. All these people are currently facing disciplinary action for their anti-party activities during the Lok Sabha elections and thereafter. The committee headed by outgoing president is investigating the matters.
While Sequeira and Faldessai were placed under suspension pending disciplinary action, the committee has asked the high command to expel Sardinha from the party for his role during the recent parliamentary polls. Sardinha, after being refused a party ticket had openly supported his son Shalom, who contested as Independent.
Fernandes had openly accused Sardinha for being a “party rebel.” On the other hand, the disciplinary committee had resolved that no party position or party ticket for election would be granted to Churchill Alemao and Naik. While Joaquim Alemao went against the party after his brother Churchill left Congress and joined Trinamool, Naik, who was Congress’s South Goa candidate, had publicly blamed then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for party’s humiliating defeat in Lok Sabha across India.
Naik, who was former Home Minister, lost to BJP’s Shripad Naik, and was accused of colluding with BJP during the election.
Further, the gathering also saw presence of some distanced Congressmen including former Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes, Francis Sequeira, Filip Neri Rodrigues, Babu Azgaonkar and former president Subhash Shirodkar.
CLP confident of reviewing John’s moves
Admitting the divide and conflict within the party over the past 10 months, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) on Tuesday expressed confidence about reviewing all decisions taken by former President John Fernandes.
CLP leader Pratapsing Rane said that appointment of Luizinho Faleiro as party president was anxiously awaited. “We were waiting for Luizinho to come and unite the party,” he said, appealing to workers not to have any apprehensions about the functioning of Luizinho.
Congress MLA Vishwajit Rane said that the party was divided over 10 months and said, “we are confident that the new president will work taking all together. All the earlier decisions were of one man and not of the party and need to be changed,” he added.
Not present in the new durbar
John Fernandes
Digmbar Kamat
Mauvin Godinho
Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco
