MARGAO: Asserting that he would step aside to make way for the young blood to take over the party reins in the near future, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Luizinho Faleiro has firmly ruled out the question of him or son Ravi contesting the next Assembly poll from Navelim due two years and three months from now.
He said Congress President Sonia Gandhi is well aware of his intention to retire from electoral politics after putting the Congress back on the track in Goa.
Speaking to Herald, Faleiro said he has not come to Goa to pursue his personal political agenda, but to build the organisation in the State. “I have not come to Goa with the intention of contesting from Navelim. My agenda is clear, to build the organisation and revive the party and also identify and nurture the young leadership through multi-layer training programs”, he said.
Asked to comment on reports from certain quarters from Navelim and also from Congress circles that either he or son Ravi will contest the 2017 Assembly poll, Faleiro said “of all my children, Ravi has been in politics, but even he has no ambition to contest the election. In fact, my family members, including wife and children do not want me to continue in politics. Even I feel that the time has come for me to retire from politics. I had mentioned this to Ms Gandhi and son Rahul, but they have sent me to Goa to build the party organisation”.
He said a firm no when asked whether he would do a re-think on his stand on contesting the Assembly polls if Ms Gandhi requests him like she did last time for the GPCC post. “Ms Gandhi is aware of my plans to retire from politics. I have only come to Goa to revive the party”, he added.
Saying that he has come down to Goa for a limited period with a definite agenda, Faleiro said he has set January end as the target to finish his agenda to put the organisation back on the tracks.
As far as the identifying the young and new leadership within the Congress is concerned, the PCC chief said, “it is a long process and it also offers challenges to the party organisation. It will take some time for the young blood to take over the party leadership”.
Replying to a question, Faleiro said his decision to leave Goa in 2009 and to return to the State in 2014 has been a painful one. “I had taken a painful decision to come back to Goa after holding the highest position in the Congress party and being in-charge of the party in the North Eastern States”, he added.
