Valanka to contest from Benaulim,Alemaos kick-start her campaign
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, AUG 15
PWD Minister Churchill Alemao on Sunday thundered at Benaulim that daughter Valanka will contest from Benaulim whether the Congress gives her the ticket or not, as the Alemaos kick-started Valanka’s election campaign with much fanfare by opening her office today.
Valanka too joined her father by asserting that she would go ahead with her plans to contest the coming Assembly polls from Benaulim with people’s support irrespective of the Congress party decision.
However, Churchill’s younger brother and Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao exuded total confidence in the Congress High Command that the party will nominate Valanka for the Benaulim seat.
The PWD minister reminded the gathering that local Congress leaders had been creating problems for him forcing him to leave the party in the past. “My brother says the Congress is strong. Indeed, the Congress is strong, but local party leaders have been acting as thorns and have been creating problems, forcing me to leave the party in the past”, he said.
Referring to Joaquim’s statement that Valanka would get the Congress ticket, Alemao said “my brother may say so many things. I always say I have two tickets – Congress ticket and the ‘people’s ticket’. My daughter wants to contest on the Congress, but if the Congress does not field her on the party banner, she will contest on the ‘people’s ticket’”, adding “I want to clear these things as there cannot be any politics without the support of the people.
Making a humble appeal to the constituents of the new Benaulim constituency comprising of Benaulim, Colva, Seraulim, Varca, Orlim, Carmona and Cavelossim to support Valanka’s candidature, the PWD minister sought to explain questions raised in many quarters why the Alemao’s is promoting another member of the family for the Benaulim seat. “My brother Joaquim is now staying separately. But, Valanka is my daughter. She is part of my family. People from all over Goa come to me for help and assistance and my entire family attends to them”, he said.
In her spirited address, Valanka said she is a God fearing person and planned to contest from Benaulim due to requests from the youth and showered praises on the people of Benaulim for electing Churchill right from 1989 to elect him as the first Catholic Chief Minister.
“We cannot forget this gesture of the people of Benaulim. I am a youth Congress member and will contest on the party ticket. I am hopeful that Congress President Sonia Gandhi will give me the ticket being a woman”, she said, and made it clear that she would contest the polls irrespective of the Congress ticket.
Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao, in his address, made it very clear that Valanka could not get the Congress ticket for the Lok Sabha polls not because of backstabbing by the Congress High Command, but Churchill’s own MLA failed to join the Congress.
Admitting that the Congress High Command had assured to field Valanka for the Lok Sabha polls, Joaquim, however, exuded confidence that the Party High Command would now nominate Valanka for the Benaulim seat in the coming Assembly polls.
Referring to Mickky Pacheco’s statement that he would field a candidate against Valanka, Joaquim challenged Mickky to contest against Valanka instead of planning to contest from some other constituency. ‘Don’t threaten us with these statements. If you have the guts, contest against Valanka in Benaulim”, he asserted.
South Goa ZP Chairperson Maria Rebello, who is the sister of Dr Hubert Gomes, cleared doubts raised in certain quarters about her support to Valanka’s candidature. “Many people have raised doubts about my support, but I would like to publicly declare my support to the Alemaos”, she added.
Sarpanchas of Orlim, Carmona and Varca were conspicuous by their presence. On the occasion, Fr Conceissao D’Silva blessed Valanka and wished her all the best in her endeavour. Seraulim Parish Priest, Fr Eremito Coutinho urged Valanka to emulate the good qualities of both Churchill and Joaquim and clarified that he has come as a family friend of the Alemaos and not as a priest.
Adv Mike Mehta, Ben Evangelisto, Lazario Miranda, Anthony Pinto, Calvert Gonsalves, Alerio Fernandes, Pratima Coutinho also spoke on the occasion.
