PANJIM: The Corporation of the City of Panaji’s former corporator and BJP’s former member Menino Da Cruz joined Congress along with his supporters on Saturday and vowed to make the party strong in the capital city.

President of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Girish Chodankar welcomed Menino and his supporters in the presence of Panjim Block Convenor Joel Andrade, James Andrade, District President Vijay Bhike, and National Students Union of India (NSUI) leader Naushad Chowdhari.

Joel said he is trying his best to rebuild the Congress in Panjim with the support of Congress leaders and supporters from Panjim. Chodankar said after Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate ditched Congress by joining BJP, the party wanted to completely reconstitute the team in Panjim and is working hard to make it stronger.

“Babush also took our block members along with him. But now many people are joining us in Panjim. We are getting good support for our enrolment drive in Goa as well,” Chodankar added.

Da Cruz said the downfall of BJP has started from last Assembly elections and further it will be nowhere. “When I had joined in 2006, I helped them to build the party. But now the downfall of BJP has started. I resigned from BJP for self-respect after working for over 15 years. They had ignored workers like me. They should remember that usurping power by horse trading is not real victory. I will try to work to help Panjim grow and also our Congress,” Da Cruz added. He hinted that some former corporators would be joining Congress as well in the future. He said that he is 100 per cent sure that next Panjim MLA will be from the Congress.

“We need to work hard to get another 3,000 votes which is not a difficult task,” he said.

He said, “I have not joined Congress to get the MLA ticket; my task is to help the party defeat the betrayer Babush in the coming elections.”