Your candidature was confirmed barely four weeks before Goa polls scheduled for April 12. How will you manage visiting 20 constituencies in such a short span of time?
I agree we don’t have enough time but nevertheless my workers, youth and women cadres had begun campaigning for the Congress party even before the formal announcement. I have been phoning voters, meeting them individually, holding corner meetings and have plans to hold public rallies in the coming days. Moreover, our ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is also helping us out with the campaign.
The party has been hit by internal differences over ticket allocation? Will this affect the chances of Congress in the polls?
No. The people of Goa are different, they know whom to support and whom not to. They are intelligent and this time, they know what is to be done. The voters will vote for Congress in both districts. I don’t want to comment on that (on rebels within the party).
South Goa leaders and their workers are supporting me in the North. I have spoken to them personally and they will definitely campaign for me as well as Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco to get elected.
BJP’s NaMo factor has grabbed a lot of attention in the country including Goa. How will the Congress counter the hyped campaign by the saffron party?
As I have said before, people are waiting to vote against the BJP. I strongly feel Modi (BJP PM Candidate Narendra Modi) will not come to power. But if he does, then democracy is under threat. He will destroy democracy and the Opposition. We have to protect our democracy. The entire country knows his hidden agenda and also that of the BJP.
You are contesting against the three-time MP Shripad Naik. Do you believe people will vote for you, also because your voters from Ponda constituency are in the South Goa district for MP’s election?
The people of Goa know me. Besides serving as a politician, I have been deeply involved in social work, sports and welfare of women. They all are my friends. He (Shripad) is not a threat because people are waiting for my win because they know my ability to work for the welfare of the State through my past performances. I am confident they will vote for me. The people of Ponda will certainly vote for Congress in South.
But the Assembly House Committee report on drug nexus has named you for links with drugs mafia, and more so, anti corruption branch of Vigilance Department has registered two separate First Information Reports against you in job scams.
There is not a single case against me. There is not a single criminal or non-cognisable offence against me or my sons (Ritesh and Roy).
The government is falsely implicating me in cases… I am not aware of the corruption charges against me. Let the law take its own course… Drugs are rampant now in the tenure of the present BJP government but they are keeping their eyes and ears shut. BJP’s own MLA Michael Lobo has accused the government…and claimed that youth are falling prey to drugs and families are getting destroyed.
