NT NETWORK
PANAJI
As many as 14 Congress MLAs have started revolting against its party president Luizinho Faleiro, as they feel that he may prove to be an obstacle in the party’s dream of toppling the BJP-led coalition government and forming a Congress-led coalition government after Panaji and Valpoi constituency by-elections.
“A meeting of the 14 Congress MLAs under the leadership of Congress Goa desk in-charge A Chellakumar was held on Thursday afternoon at the International Centre Goa (ICG), Dona Paula. All 14 MLAs along with former Santa Cruz MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate have told Chellakumar to change Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president and demanded that Luizinho Faleiro should step down or else Congress will again fail to form government,” said a senior leader of the party, who attended the meeting.
The leader said that the Congress party is in touch with independent MLAs, who are currently in the BJP-led coalition government, to get the numbers post bypolls to form government in the state.
He, however, added that the Independent legislators have put a condition citing the past experiences that unless Faleiro leaves the post of party president they would not like to align with the party.
He said that the party is considering Monserrate’s candidature for Panaji, as most of the MLAs feel that he is the only one who could play a crucial role in pulling non-BJP MLAs on the side of the Congress party. The party leader further said that all the MLAs had a one-to-one conversation with the Goa desk in-charge of the party from Wednesday evening till Thursday afternoon, wherein they expressed their disappointment with the way Faleiro has been handling the affairs of the party and urged the in-charge to replace him.
The senior Congress leader claimed that after listening to each MLA, Chellakumar assured that he would convey the demand to the party high command in Delhi, as it would be the final authority to take the decision.
“I don’t think that Chellakumar needs to take the matter to Delhi. If he himself requests Faleiro, then I am sure as a loyal soldier of the Congress party, without giving a second thought, he will resign, as for him party’s interest has always been his first priority,” the senior leader said.