Varca: The entry of Churchill Alemao into the TMC scheme of things seems to have caused an upset in the narrative of a party that entered Goa on the foundation of clean politics. But perhaps, it didn’t quite figure the extent to and the speed in which the Benaulim MLA,, ironically the TMCs lone claimed MLA would almost bulldoze into the scheme of things and push candidates he felt were “winnable”, notwithstanding whether they were found to be “credible” by the public, especially in Velim.
Faleiro literally surrenders the home seat of Navelim to Churchill & Valanka
In this rush, inside party sources indicate that one of Alemao’s first demands were tickets for him in Benaulim) and his daughter (Valanka) in Navelim, a demand considered unthinkable since it is the “home” bastion of TMC Vice President and Rajya Sabha member Luizinho Faleiro. Faleiro has been extremely reluctant after getting his Rajya Sabha seat and has almost refused to contest from any seat, even though the party needs him,
It is very surprising politically that the TMC maintained a status quo on the issue of the Navelim seat even as Valanka Alemao started campaigning, as an aspirant for the TMC ticket. The continued reluctance on the part of the former Chief Minister on one side and Churchill Alemao’s daughter going full steam ahead in Navelim has led to ground-level uncertainty and confusion. And the big question is, who is in control, Luizinho or Churchill?
In Velim the mood is against all defectors, but Churchill is leaving no stone unturned to get a TMC ticket for top-class defector Filipe Neri Rodrigues. Inside sources reveal that Churchill; had in fact accompanied Neri for political meetings with TMC even as Goa TMC founder member and up and coming rising star Adv Clovis Da Costa is rising up the popularity charts for this strong stand against giving tickets to criminally charge-sheeted candidates. “It doesn’t matter from which party. The system has to be cleansed”, he said
Readers may note that when Herald visited Velim, people in one voice rejected any move to get a defector. “Neri and others did not just trade our votes, they stole all the ballot boxes and sold them enmasse to the BJP”
Churchill is now directly meddling in Calangute and almost got his man Anthony Meneses the ticket
After Michael Lobo’s induction into the Congress, the TMC quickly moved in to secure the trio of former MLA Agnelo Fernandes, former Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira, and former Zilla Parishad member Anthony Meneses and the block congress president. There was broad agreement that any one of them would contest backed by others. But Churchill had other ideas. He threw his lot with Menezes. The joining was delayed by a day and a half and hectic parleys took place in Joseph Sequeira’s resort with both Churchill and Luizinho(who was backing Angelo Fernandes).
But it appears that in the face of resentment over the way the Benaulim MLA is operating, the TMC might course correct and step in to realign its senior leaders who appear to have clearly stepped out of line and gone against the people’s wishes.
