TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: At a meeting attended by all secular political forces in Cuncolim, including candidates and their workers who had contested against each other, reached a conclusion to unite and help Congress candidate Reginaldo Lourenco to get a lead that will surely help him win the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
Congress candidate ALeixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai, Block President of Cuncolim Assis Noronha, Independent candidate in 2012 Assembly election John Monteiro, GPCC vice-president Moti Desai, Chairperson of Cuncolim Municipal Council Devendra Desai, Sarpanch of Paroda Deepak Kharangate and others attended.
Reginaldo explained to the people gathered, that this is a fight of the secular versus fascist forces and we should put differences aside and come together under the roof of secularism to help save Goa and India. He said he is an honorable man, who respects each and every voter and wants to win the hearts of these voters, just as he has done in Curtorim for the past so many years, before as a ZP and then as an MLA.
Vijai Sardesai explained to the people that Cuncolim was the first place in Asia to rise against dictatorship and Shabu Dessai who was a true Cuncolim man of heart, at the time of the Opinion Poll carried the flame of Goan identity into the pro-merger areas, displaying the unique Cuncolim brand of courage. Sardesai said that these issues that Cuncolim had raised in the past against dictatorship and for maintain the separate identity of Goa were synonymous with the current scenario in the State and at the Centre, where Modi and Parrikar are known to practice dictatorial rules. The issue of Mopa, which is an indirect merger of Goa with Maharashtra is also relevant to these polls, and every vote for Reginaldo is a vote to scrap Mopa. He went on to say, that this Lok Sabha election is virtually a second opinion poll with the BJP wanting to “merge” Goa with Maharashtra.
All members at the gathering came to a conclusion, that they will keep differences aside, and work effortlessly to help Reginaldo get a huge lead in the Cuncolim constituency.
