TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
CALANGUTE: In a major setback to the BJP’s Lok Sabha campaign in Calangute, Calangute Panchayat’s de factor leader and Panch Joseph Sequeira along with 10 members of the Calangute panchayat joined the Congress on Friday.
With his entry into the Congress, Sequeira has formally cut off political ties with his former ally and Calangute’s BJP MLA Michael Lobo and has now allied with his former rival and ex-MLA Agnelo Fernandes to garner support for North Goa Congress candidate Ravi Naik in the Lok Sabha polls.
Sequeira along with Calangute Sarpanch Geeta Parab and nine other Panchayat members formally joined the Congress by submitting their primary membership forms to GPCC President John Fernandes at a resort in Gaura vaddo, Calangute.
Sequeira and Fernandes later joined hands in the presence of St Alex Church Parish Priest Fr Cipriano D’Silva and North Goa LS candidate Ravi Naik, besides other Congress leaders and workers.
While the Congress camp was upbeat over these developments, the BJP camp in Calangute has been left to chalk out an alternative strategy.
That an alliance of the two local leaders, Fernandes and Sequeira, had unnerved the BJP camp in Calangute was evident as Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar rushed to Calangute to undo any possible damage to their election campaign.
Parrikar along with Lobo called on Fr D’Silva and sought seek his support and blessing for the north Goa BJP candidate Shripad Naik in Calangute constituency. Parrikar and Lobo also met a few Calangute Panchayat members to mobilize support for the BJP candidate.
The Congress then began its election campaign in Calangute, with Ravi Naik seeking the blessings of Fr D’Silva and offering prayers at Shree Shantadurga Temple, Calangute.
Later, Ravi Naik marched through the streets of Calangute along with Sequeira and Fernandes, besides other Congress leaders and supporters, including Calangute Sarpanch Geeta Parab, Congress Mahila Chief Clothildes Braganza, North Goa Youth Congress President Ashton Santamaria and Avinash Bhonsle of NCP.
The Congress leaders and workers offered prayers at the temples and later assembled for a meeting organised by GPCC at Gaura Vaddo, Calangute.
Unfazed by the new alliance between Fernandes and Sequeira, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo maintained that the move would have no bearing on the BJP party’s prospects.
“The two leaders have come together for selfish gains and not in the interest of the people from Calangute. Their alliance will have no bearing on the victory of Shripad Naik, as people will back the BJP for development in Calangute,” said Lobo.
