TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
NEW DELHI/PANJIM: The Congress has bulldozed all criticism of making this a mom, pop and family election by picking a wife, daughter, son and brother in their list of seven candidates announced bowing down to the Monserrates, Alemaos, Ranes and the Naiks.
As expected Churchill Alemao, who is also in the fray with his minister brother Joaquim, got his lawyer daughter Valanka Alemao the Benaulim seat while another minister Babush Monserrate’s wait for the Taleigao seat to remain with the family ended with wife Jennifer Monserrate getting the ticket.
Home Minister Ravi Naik, who is seeking re-election from Ponda, also succeeded to get his son Ritesh contest from Marcaim on the Congress ticket. Others figuring in the second list are Vishwajit Rane’s handpicked boy Uday D Palyekar from Siolim, Pandurang Madkaikar from Cumbharjua, brother Dhaku Madkaikar from Priol and Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco from Curtorim. Congress general secretary Oscar Fernandes released the second list, saying it has been cleared by the Central Election Committee headed by Sonia Gandhi.
When contacted Babush Monserrate said, “Whether it is St Cruz or Taleigao every constituency is tough. I don’t take voters for granted. For me election is about gaining confidence of the voters. Being a Congress candidate will help us in a big way. I look forward crossing the 10000-mark in St Cruz.”
While Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, candidate from Curtorim said, “I was confident that I would get a ticket, so I don’t have anything to say. The party probably thought that I wouldn’t have any problem if my name was declared in the second round.”
Pandurang Madkaikar, Cumbharjua candidates says, “I had no doubts that I would get a ticket. May be, there were some problems, which was why my name did not figure in the first list. But what came as a pleasant surprise is that my brother’s name too is in the second list. Work done by him in the last two years has brought positive results.”
