TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Former Tourism Minister and senior United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) leader Matanhy Saldanha on Thursday finally severed his decade long association with the regional party by tendering his resignation to the party leadership.
While reports say he is likely to embrace the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Matanhy declined to comment, saying he would take a decision on his political future within a day or two, while asserting that he would contest the coming assembly polls from Cortalim.
“I have resigned from the UGDP to serve Goa better and for the unification of the people of Goa, irrespective of caste and creed and to ensure that the government that comes to power runs the affairs of the state in a transparent manner”, Matanhy told Herald.
“Everthing has a time. I felt the time has come for me to leave the UGDP. I remained with the party even though I had to undergo pain”, he said, when asked whether he felt happy to severe ties with the UGDP or is leaving the party with a heavy heart.
“In the UGDP, we had people who said they are fighting the Congress, but most of them either joined or supported the Congress after their election. This is not my cup of tea”, he added.
When his attention was drawn to statements by UGDP leaders that the party has reserved the Cortalim seat for him, Matanhy said “How can you say the seat is reserved when the GVP said they will not compromise on Cortalim?”, he asked, while terming the UGDP-GVP alliance as an alliance to serve self interests.
Matanhy had joined the UGDP before the 2002 assembly polls and won from Cortalim, before rising to becoming a tourism minister in the Manohar Parrikar regime. He unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Lok sabha polls from South Goa on the UGDP banner minus the two leaves symbol.
“We wish Matanhy well”, was how UGDP Secretary General Anacleto Viegas reacted to Saldanha’s decision to quit the regional party.
“Perhaps, Matanhy must have thought that the grass is green on the other side”, he said, while asserting that Matanhy’s exit will not affect the UGDP in the long run.
