PANJIM: The All India Congress Committee has finally acted with a heavy hand on dissidence within its Goa unit, by expelling belligerent St Cruz legislator and former State Education Minister Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate for a period of six years, for anti-party activities during the recently held Panjim by-election and his utterances thereafter. With this the Congress is left with eight MLAs, in the 40-member state legislative assembly, including Monserrate’s wife Jennifer.
The directions on the expulsion came to the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), from AICC president Sonia Gandhi. Congress has made it clear that Monserrate will not be given a party nomination (ticket) for the 2017 assembly elections.
“The Congress president Sonia Gandhi has agreed to the proposal cum resolution of the GPCC executive committee for taking stern disciplinary action against all party leaders who have worked against the party and are committing acts of indiscipline,” GPCC General Secretary Sunil Kawthankar told media persons Wednesday.
He said that the intimation in this
regard was issued on March 3, but the GPCC received the formal order on Wednesday.
Acting tough against perennial party dissidence, the Congress executive had on February 17 passed a resolution to expel Monserrate for his anti-party activities during the recently held Panjim by-election, which Congress lost. The GPCC executive had also decided to debar Monserrate from re-entering the party under any circumstances.
The GPCC had taken note of Monserrate’s statement made on November 7 when he had announced that he would resign from the Congress and contest as an independent from Panjim in the by-election following Manohar Parrikar’s elevation as defence minister. Then on December 22, Monserrate announced his support to the BJP and said that he would work to defeat party nominee Surendra Furtado. This he had even informed AICC secretary Dr A Chellakumar during his visit to Goa on January 22.
Kawthankar said Gandhi has also directed the local unit to take action against other rebel leaders who have been indulging in anti-party activities. “There are several leaders who have been indicted (by the party) including former St Cruz MLA Victoria Fernandes and MLA Mauvin Godinho. Action will follow,” he said.
However, Congress refused to say whether those indicted by the GPCC disciplinary committee would also be part of this resolution. The committee had in the past imposed a temporary suspension on former ministers, including Ravi Naik, Aleixo Sequeira, Joaquim Alemao and MP Francisco Sardinha for their anti-party activities during the May 2014 parliamentary elections.
Meanwhile, thanking the Congress for expelling him, the now ‘unattached’ St Cruz MLA Monserrate has said that he is open to joining any party including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party if they approach him.
“I am unattached now. I can be approached by any party including BJP. I have got friends in all parties, be it BJP or MGP,” Monserrate told Herald, as he welcomed the AICC decision to expel him for six years.
When asked about his future plans, Monserrate said that he has got many options like forming a third front, or joining any other party or being an independent. “There is still some time. Till then let me enjoy my freedom,” he said.
Pointing to the Congress party ideology, where the party feels that it is a big ocean and does not bother who comes and goes, the former Congressman said, “I am happy to be in a small river now rather than being in a polluted ocean.”
Monserrate refused to comment on his wife Jennifer’s stand on the entire issue stating, “She is independent to take her own decision. I would not like to intervene.” He, however said, that he felt that Jennifer would continue to work for the Congress party.
