Waiting at the door
Pravin Zantye, Roy Naik, Dr Suresh Amonkar, Prasad Gaonkar, Rudolf Fernandes and Samir Salgaokar are in talks with the TMC. Sources say the final decision by these leaders would be taken once the list of all other parties is finalised.
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Just 50 meters from the Congress House, there is a Suite room No 304 at the Mandovi Hotel in Panjim, which has become a place where all rebels seem to be visiting as soon as they tender their resignation from Congress.
Several of Congress loyalists and ticket aspirants, who have seen their dreams shattered have said goodbye to the party and are switching their loyalty to the Trinamool Congress – a party which the people pooh-poohed when it was first launched a month ago.
And the list of rebels who have taken or will take the short walk but a giant leap from the Congress House to Suite Number 304 include some known Congressmen — Pravin Zantye from Mayem, Samir Salgaocar, Mandrem, Home Minister Ravi Naik’s son, Roy who is waiting for the NCP ticket from Mayem but keeping the TMC option open and Prasad Gaonkar of Sanquelim. Even veteran BJP leaders like Dr Suresh Amonkar have had a quiet word with the TMC.
Late this evening, Isidore Fernandes, the Congress hopeful from Canacona who held a party just opposite the Mandovi Hotel last night, made a couple of calls to the TMC observer one Maria Fernandes (from outside Goa), for a party change. He wanted to book a TMC seat in case the Congress backstabbed him at the eleventh hour.
Trinamool, led by Dr Wilfred de Sousa in the State and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the national level, is the alliance partner in the UPA but here in the State they are planning to take the Congress head-on.
Says the Trinamool State Observer Maria Fernandes, “the party has decided to contest 35 seats, which will be revealed tomorrow, when our Party General Secretary Mukul Roy (Union Shipping Minister) arrives”.
Asked why they were banking on recruiting the Congress rebels when both parties have an alliance at the Centre, she replied, “it is a wrong perception, people in
“We are not here to poach on anyone”, she said.
She doesn’t need to. All she needs is to keep the party doors open. And they will all come rushing in.
