TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: The Goa Vikas Party on Friday was rocked by political turmoil a day after party’s Benaulim MLA Caetano alias Caitu Silva backed an Independent candidate for the Benaulim Zilla Panchayat seat.
Taking strong objection to Caitu’s decision to back an Independent candidate, Goa Vikas Party supremo Francisco Mickky Pacheco has not only contemplated disciplinary action against the Benaulim MLA but also went to the extent of saying Caitu is free to leave the party.
GVP General Secretary and Mickky’s confidante, Lyndon Monteiro challenged Caitu to leave the party instead of indulging in indiscipline and anti-party activities.
Mickky told the media at his residence on Friday evening that Caitu is free to leave the party, asserting that the GVP has the capacity to get elected on the party banner with people’s support. “Caitu should resign and go. We do not want to throw him out of the party. He should know that he got elected on the GVP banner. We had taken pain to make him an MLA,” Mickky said.
The GVP chief failed to understand how the Benaulim MLA could go back on the decision to field a party candidate in Benaulim. “We had a meeting with all concerned wherein I chose Honey D’Costa to contest the polls on the GVP banner. But on Thursday Honey filed his nomination papers and the Benaulim MLA went to the extent of making a statement against the party. Last three years, Caitu had been attacking the party without realising what he is speaking about. He repeatedly goes to the media. We do not know whether he has lost his head,” Mickky said.
Replying to a question, Mickky said the party will meet in a day or two to discuss the issue and initiate disciplinary action against the Benaulim MLA.
GVP General Secretary Lyndon Monteiro said anti-party activities from a senior leader like Caitu is totally unacceptable. “So long as Caitu is in the GVP, he has to follow the ideology, policies and decisions of the party. Just as the party supremo has said, if Caitu does not like the party ideologies or decision, he is free to leave the party, but he cannot indulge in anti-party activities,” he said.
Meanwhile, when Herald questioned Mickky whether the GVP will field a candidate in Benaulim on the last day on Saturday, he just said the party will take a decision by Saturday morning.
