TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: At a well attended meeting held at the Cuncolim taxi stand, seated on the dais was a galore of Congress and non Congress leaders who have said that they have all come together, keeping differences aside to help Reginaldo Lourenco, the Congress candidate of the South Goa Constituency win the election by a resounding margin.
“I am humbled and honored by the unity shown by the people of Cuncolim, who have come together under the banner of secularism and unity to help me in my endeavor to win this election and serve the people of Goa in the Parliament. I will never forget this gesture of Cuncolkars,” said Lourenco as he addressed the gathering.
He appealed to all the people to maintain this same unity as they always have, since the time of the freedom struggle as this is what the pride of Cuncolim stands for. He told the people that the ticket was awarded to him for his performance in the Assembly and he will demonstrate the same charisma on the floor of the Parliament. He further explained the Manifesto of the Congress party which he said will cater to all the issues of Goa that need to be conveyed to the centre.
UGDP Vice President Adv Radharao Gracias said that though he is not a member of the Congress Party, he is seated on the dais to do his bit to protect the interest of Goans and not to allow the communal party to spread its evil arm further in Goa. He said that Goa is a peace loving state and it has no place for the hate agenda of the party which professes hate politics. He said that w are fortunate that the party had given us a good, young and clean face and that was the reason he is supporting the candidate.
Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik said that if Modi is allowed to come to power, than it won’t be long before the tranquility of the state will be completely destroyed. He said that when the CM has already conceded defeat by claiming that 2 seats don’t count at the central level, he questioned the reason behind the party contesting the polls in Goa. He said these are all divisive tactics to misguide the people and instill fear in their minds that Modi was coming to power at the centre, and appealed to the people not to fall prey to such politics. He further said that he is confident of the Congress party being a front runner to form the UPA III govt and that it will prove this, just as it had proven in the last to two Parliamentary elections.
Independent Candidate in 2012 election John Monteiro also addressed the people from the dais saying that he is fully supporting the Congress Candidate Reginaldo Lourenco. He said that he has not let the 2012 election come in his way in which he contested as an Independent, but that this Lok Sabha election is about the future of Goan and India.
He said communal forces cannot be allowed to run the proceedings of a secular country like India and that time has come to unite all the secular forces to defeat such fascist forces. He said what Goa has witnessed in the past two years is an example of the kind of rule of the BJP and that such a govt at the centre can only spell doom to the country. He said that he is happy that a young face has been given this opportunity by the party and he will work effortlessly to help him win by ensuring a massive lead in Cuncolim.
Also present at the meeting was GPCC Vice President Moti Desai, GPCC General Secretary Altinho Gomes, GPCC spokesperson Pratima Coutinho, Cuncolim Muncipal Council Chairperson Devendra Desai and others.
