Jose Philip offers to quit as president
PANJIM, NOV 2
Finally, the suspense over whether Jose Philip Jose Philip will resign from the Nationalist Congress Party’s State President’s post has been laid to rest. In a late meeting on Tuesday with the party’s national General Secretary and Goa Desk In-Charge Prakash Bhinsale, Jose Philip expressed his desire to quit.
Reliable sources said Jose Philip will submit his resignation to NCP supremo Sharad Pawar in New Delhi after the municipal councils are formed. The current State party president was huddled in a meeting with Bhinsale at a starred hotel in the capital city for nearly an hour, they said.
Before meeting Jose Philip, Bhinsale held deliberations with the party’s State office bearers to find an alternative president in the wake of the former, expressing his desire to quit. He also met the party’s State Tourism Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar to take his views on the situation.
Bhinsale held talks with the four general secretaries (Rajan Ghate, Prabhu Moni, Prakash Fadte and Avinash Bhonsle), four vice-presidents (Dr Carmo Pegado, Pandurang Raut, Surendra Sirsat and Sangeet Parab) and Chief Spokesperson Trajano D’Mello before calling in Jose Philip for talks very late in the evening.
Till late, Bhinsale and Jose Philip were in discussion with the latter pouring out all that happened between Mickky Pacheco and him.
Today Bhinsale held separate discussions with the office bearers to assess from them who will probably be in a better position to take charge of the party after the current president’s resignation.
Jose Philip has made it open his efforts to strengthen the party were stifled by his own party associate. He is on record to state after the Vasco spat that Mickky Pacheco was jealous he was made the party president, but later went on to say if the Benaulim strongman could strengthen the party it was best to give him the post.
However, the State Executive Committee is not in favour of Jose Philip resigning, but had to accept as the Minister for Civil Supplies said he was fed-up with what Mickky was doing. He had informed the High Command in mid-October Mickky was meddling in his constituency for the municipal polls.
Before going to the Press, sources said there was likelihood Pacheco will be called in for discussion. They mentioned besides deliberating to find the next party president, Bhinsale was in Goa on fact-finding into the Vasco spat.
