Churchill Alemao to join Trinamool

TEAM HERALD

teamherald@herald-goa.com

MARGAO: Two days after he quit the Congress in protest against the decision to nominate MLA Reginaldo Lourenco for South Goa, former PWD minister Churchill Alemao is all set to embrace Mamta Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress.

Churchill and his close aides had a meeting with Trinamool Congress Sports and Transport Minister Madan Mitra at his residence on Monday evening, wherein the former minister decided to contest the April 12 Lok Sabha poll under the TC banner.

When contacted, Churchill confirmed having taken a decision to join the Trinamool Congress and contest the coming Lok Sabha poll under its banner. “Mr Mitra came down from Kolkata with the offer, requesting me to join the party and contest the poll under its banner. I have decided to join the party”, Churchill said.

“The Congress had spread the false and baseless news that I have accepted Rs 50 crore from the BJP to contest the poll in order to split the vote. They even alleged that Churchill is BJP’s dummy candidate. Now, I have taken the decision to join the Trinamool Congress. People will now know the truth, whether I had taken money from the BJP or not”, he said.

The Trinamool Congress had contested the 2012 Assembly election in Goa, but had drawn a blank without winning a single seat.