PANJIM, JUNE 29
Ending days of speculation, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today appointed Jose Philip D’Souza as its Goa unit president.
The decision comes a day after the party general secretary and incharge of Goa desk Prakash Binsale said that they are still undecided on the matter.
However, the suspense came to an end today evening with the party announcing name of Jose Philip.
A letter to this effect was issued by the NCP Office Superintendent A Z Palwi.
Jose Philip D’Souza, who is the minister for Revenue and Civil Supplies in the Congress-led coalition Government, told Herald that his first job would be to strengthen the party. “I want to improve the functioning of the party”, D’Souza said.
In recent years, the NCP has been in turmoil after the bitter exit of Wilfred de Souza, a former chief minister and the State president of the NCP for nearly a decade.
The new president said he also wants to improve the functioning of the party.
It may be recalled Jose Philip and a few members of the executive had resigned from the party in June last year after accusing NCP chief Sharad Pawar of communalism and victimising Christian members.
Jose Philip’s appointment comes at a time when the image of the NCP in Goa is in tatters after one of its senior members, Mickky Pacheco, was accused of culpable homicide in the mysterious death of Nadia Torrado.
There are presently three NCP legislators in the 40-member Goa Assembly.
