PANAJI: Stating that Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai and former Santa Cruz MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate wanted to topple the BJP government when Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was abroad, Congress’ Goa desk in-charge Chella Kumar on Tuesday called them “land grabbers” linked to land mafia who want to sell the state.
“Babush had told me that he and Sardesai want to topple the Manohar Parrikar-led government when he (Parrikar) goes abroad.”
“Their demand to the Congress party was that Sardesai should be made chief minister and their GFP leader Suraj Lotlikar should be given Congress ticket for Rajya Sabha election, which we refused. Hence all three land grabbers linked to land mafia have come together today and joined hands,” Kumar alleged. “They are together to sell Goa. The Congress has not allowed them to sell the state. We told them that anybody who is selling Goa would not be entertained by the Congress party… it is up to the Goans to decide the fate of these tainted corrupt politicians,” he added.
He said the Congress had anticipated that Monserrate would withdraw himself from the Panaji by-election fray at the last minute to make way for Parrikar. Hence the party had started preparing for an alternative.
“I knew his intention. Hence I told him that if he wants to contest against Parrikar then he must join the Congress… Babush was told that even if he contests as an Independent (candidate) we would not support him. The Congress has a lot of options for the Panaji by-poll. There are so many aspirants… we will soon take a decision,” Kumar said.
Goa pradesh Congress committee president Shantaram Naik said that Monserrate is free to join any party as he was not a Congress member.
“Monserrate was not a Congress member. We had proposed his candidature for the Panaji by-poll, but he has preferred to join the Goa Forward Party. It’s his choice,” Naik said asserting that all the 16 Congress MLAs are united and there is no danger to the unity of the legislators.
CLP leader Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar said that he came to know about the political development only through messages. However, Kavlekar did admit that he had been trying to get in touch with Monserrate for confirmation, but in vain.
Curtorim MLA Alexio Reginaldo Laurenco said that Monserrate’s entry into the GFP has changed the body language of the BJP MLAs.
“Please see the body language of the other side (ruling MLAs)… We the Opposition will enjoy now. He (Monserrate) was telling us a lot of things. I feel he needs to introspect, but ultimately it is the people who are going to decide. We want to come back on the ruling side but not at the cost of the voters… we have to keep the word, and can’t ditch our voters,” he said.