MARGAO: In an interesting political development former Tourism Minister Francisco `Mickky’ Pacheco joined the Congress Party in Delhi on Saturday.
Mickky himself called Herald and gave the news about he joining the Congress party in Delhi in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal and AICC Goa Desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao, who, he said, welcomed him into the party.
It may be recalled that in the last month Mickky had announced about his entry into the Congress to and he had also stated that his focus will be to bring back the Congress Party to power in the next Assembly elections.
Mickky said that he had talks with senior Congress leaders such as Kamal Nath, K C Venugopal, besides newly appointed senior election observer for Goa P Chidambaram.
“I will be working towards strengthening the party in Goa as per my capacity, and people of Goa know my strength and capabilities,” he said.
To a question, Mickky said that the Congress high command has not assured him any position in the party organisation and ticket to contest the ensuing Assembly elections. However, his said that his focus will be to bring change to the party.
“Whatever other responsibilities the party delegates to me, I will wholeheartedly do,” said the four-time legislator.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar confirmed that Mickky has officially joined the Congress in Delhi.
“We want to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the next Assembly elections and we are welcoming all who wish to join the Congress Party. Let us all come together to defeat BJP and strengthen the secular forces,” he said.
Chodankar also said that the Congress high command has informed him and the Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat about the induction of Mickky into the party.
Mickky was elected MLA from Nuvem Constituency on Goa Vikas Party in 2012 elections and has also won from Benaulim Constituency three times including a by-election in 2005. He lost 2017 Assembly elections.
In 2015, Mickky was convicted for assaulting a government official and sentenced to imprisonment for six months. Prior to that he had to quit as minister in June 2010, over the issue of alleged suicide of a female friend.
Mickky first won 2002 Assembly elections as a member of the United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP). He later split and formed the United Goans Democratic Party (Secular), which merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in January 2003. He resigned from BJP in 2005 and won by-election on NCP symbol. He also won 2007 elections.
Ahead of 2012 Assembly elections, he quit NCP and joined the Goa Vikas Party (GVP). Mickky’s wife Viola Pacheco was appointed as GVP president in 2012. Again ahead of 2017 elections, he quit Goa Vikas Party and joined the Goa Su-raj Party but had to eat a humble pie at the hands of Congress candidate Nuvem Wilfred ‘Babashan’ D’Sa.
