PANJIM: The Congress High Command’s plan to align with Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, the MLA the party expelled two years ago, has met with strong opposition from party cadres, especially in St Cruz constituency.
Also, all four Congress held panchayats of St Andre constituency have objected to former MLA Francis Silveira’s candidature claiming he is a close aide of Monserrate.
The rebellion came out in the open on Friday at a public meeting in St Cruz, attended by over 2500 people. During the meeting, members of the St Cruz Block Committee, Minority Cell, Seva Dal and Women’s Wing, threatened to resign from the party and work against Congress in the 2017 elections, if the party aligns with Monserrate in the constituency.
The meeting was attended by AICC secretary Chella Kumar, State Party President Luizinho Faleiro, Opposition Leader Pratapsingh Rane and others.
“The block committees have objected to form an alliance with Monserrate in St Cruz. They are of the view that the party can support Monserrate in Panjim and his wife in Taleigao but not in St Cruz. Monserrate is an expelled party leader and we cannot trust him,” Congress Minority cell chief Urfan Mulla, an aspirant for the party ticket in the constituency, told Herald.
There is speculation that Congress and Monserrate will form an alliance, and the MLA wants his close aide and former St Cruz sarpanch Tony Fernandes to contest from St Cruz. Fernandes is also President of Monserrate’s newly formed United Goans party.
During the meeting, the Minority Cell demanded that the seat be reserved for a minority candidate. “We have proposed four names including mine. We don’t want Congress to use minority as vote bank. We want St Cruz ticket,” he said.
