NEW DELHI/ PANJIM: He was a man on a mission to rid Congress of many old timers who he said worked against the party. But John Fernandes’ innings was expectedly, (but long over-due), cut short, with the AICC appointing old warhorse, former CM Luizinho Faleiro, as the new president of the Goa Congress, bringing to an end a tumultuous controversy ridden rule.
Mr Faleiro is a general secretary of the All India Congress Committee looking after the party affairs of the northeastern states and is a Congress Working Committee member.
He has earlier been a PCC president and had two short stints as the chief minister for total of 10 months in 1998-99.
“Congress President Sonia Gandhi has appointed Faleiro, presently General Secretary in AICC, as President of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee in place of John Fernandes with immediate effect,” AICC general secretary (Organisation), Janardan Dwivedi, press communique states.
Faleiro’s appointment is the first in the expected reshuffle that could see a number of general secretaries being given responsibilities in their home states.
All the 40 block committees of Goa Congress were dissolved in August of this year even as the talk of Fernandes, who has antagonized quite a few of his senior colleagues including the Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane, being replaced had been doing the rounds for some months in the state.
Fernandes, who was appointed by the AICC General Secretary in charge of Goa Digvijaya Singh whose blessings he enjoyed till his (Fernandes’) political attack on Mr Pratap Singh Rane, sought to play this as a decision he took, “I had requested the high command to relieve me, taking moral responsibility for the debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. But Digvijaya Singh told me to hold on for some time,”
The reality is that the High Command took the decision to remove him after her invited his friend, a “mine owner” who he helped, to the Congress house for a press conference where the mine owner, B Naik, accused Pratap Singh Rane of taking a bribe to clear his mining ease. Evben Digvijaya Singh couldn’t protect him after this.
Former MLA and senior Congressman Jitendra Deshprabhu said “It was an expected move. I am extremely happy. Luizinho Faleiro is a person who will bring Goa Pradesh Congress Committee back on track. He, as Chief Minister, managed give Congress a majority. Everything will fall in place and those who were given powers, (by Fernandes) will be shown their actual place.”
But its clear that the there are mixed reactions to the move. GPCC spokesperson, clearly a member of the John Fernandes club in cleverly worked statement said, while officially welcoming the move “ nobody should criticize the Congress of being a party which is like old wine in an old bottle with a new label” (For a full package of reactions, see page 3)
