The Mormugao Parliamentary Constituency Member of
Parliament Mr Churchill Alemao ex Chief Minister and
ex MLA Benaulim Assembly Constituency, suffered a
major humiliation this morning as he has not been
included in the latest Union Cabinet re-shuffle of the
UPA Government effected by the Prime Minister Dr
Manmohan Singh.
Goa was expecting a berth this time round and both Mr
Shantaram L Naik MP Rajya Sabha and Mr Alemao of the
INC were strong contenders for the same. In fact after
the death of MP Sunil Dutt who was Minister for Sports
Mr Alemao felt that he could fit the bill but that
evaded him completely as Mr Mani Shankar Aiyer is the
new Minister for Sports in addition to his earlier
portfolio of Panchayati Raj -- Petroleum has been
removed.
To an extent Mr Naik of the Rajya Sabha has been well
accomodated with his induction in the All India
Congress Committee and therefore may not have much to
grumble, in fact his services have been utilised for
the Kerala and Tamil Nadu desk.
Similarly arch rival of Mr Alemao and ex Union Law
Minister and ex MLA Mandrem Mr Ramakant Khalap has
similarly been alleviated in the Central organisation
of the INC.
Mr Alemao despite his crowd pulling capacity now
heading the " Save Dabolim Airport Action Committee"
will surely be disillusioned with the INC and there
may be merit in the video news clip of a TV channel
wherein he is seen castigating the INC as a party of
"Laloos and Baloos" . Whatever be the genuine reasons
that provoked the off the cuff comment (according to
Mr Alemao the comment amde in the context of the
Railway Ministers firm nope to the demand by Mr Alemao
for a train from Margao to Velankani -incidentally Mr
Alemao is a devout follower of Our Lady of Velankani
carrying her photograph in his top pocket always)
As a matter of fact unlike younger brother Mr Joaquim
Alemao MLA Cuncolim the Minister for Urban Development
& Labour who has always found the INC a comfortable
party to park his political ambitions Mr Churchill
always felt comfortable with regional parties.
As a matter of fact the Independent ex MLA Loutolim Mr
Radharao Gracias spares no ocassion to chide Mr
Churchill on the humiliation he has been meted by the
INC and advised him time and again on all public foras
to rejoin the UGDP a regional force which given the
eight Assembly segment seats in Salcete with three in
Mormugao thrown in as bonus, could well place them in
a comfortable position to dictate the Government on
the treasury benches in the State more so in the era
of coalitions.
It is not clear what would be Mr Alemaos next move now
that he is ceased with the issue of Dabolim YES Mopa
NO. But on the day 20th January, 2006 Mr Francisco
(Micky) Pacheco was issued the show cause notice this
writer saw Mr Churchill Alemao with Dr Wilfred De
Souza Deputy Chief Minister of Goa and NCP MLA of
Saligao. It was stated that Mr Alemao was meeting Mr
De Souza as a member of the co-ordinatination
committee of the coalition partners INC NCP MGP but
none from the INC and MGP were present.
Surprisingly in an unprecedented developmenbt youngest
brother Kennedy Alemao joined the NCP two days ago and
vowed to concentrate on Navelim Constituency
incidentally represented by Mr Luisinho Faleiro
Minister for Education. It may be noted that though
Mr Faleiro is the godfather of Mr Churchills only son
there are strong political differences which came to
surface at a public meet at Lohia Maidan where Mr
Alemao indirectly blamed Mr Faleiro for the Mopa
airport issue.
Meanwhile the pro MOPA airport committee headed by BJP
MLA Mandrem Mr Laximan Parsekar has planned a massive
rally at Pernem today evening and invited all
political parties their elected representatives and
others to come under one umbrella for the development
of Pernem by supporting the MOPA airport cause.
However it is confirmed that niether Mr Jeetendra
Deshprabhu MLA Pernem nor ex MLA Mandrem Mr Ramakant
Khalap will attend the same though they too support
MOPA airport.
Given the latest political developments and the BJP
trying to destabilise the Government before the 13th
February, 2006 budget with a number of agitations
planned beginning with Pre-Employment Training Scheme,
the cold blooded Saleli Sattari murder, MOPA, the
discomfort between Mr Pacheco MLA Benaulim and Party
Chief NCP Dr Wilfred De Souza and the coup d etat in
neighbouring Karnataka where the JD(S) BJP will form
the new government within 20 months of the INC JDS
rule of Mr Dharam Singh.
With Goa becoming a prime destination not only for
tourism but in the words of the Governor Mr S C Jamir
and the Chief Minister Mr Pratapsing Raoji Rane --
that every one from North and South India were
scrambling to have a piece of land in Goa only a Goan
centric regional party can best look after the
interests of the 10 lakhs Goans leaving aside the over
4 lakhs migrants that have swarmed in the state post
Liberation of Goa. Mr Churhill Alemao therefore stands
advised to float a regional party taking all Goans
North and South under its fold. This will stop the
Headmistress of the INC Mrs Margaret Alva dictating
terms to elected representatives of her party in Goa
and touching on development and non development
matters which are the perogative of the State.
Its wishful thinking for Goans and months of
instability non governance and what have you.
>From the Mobor Cavelossim Beach end
GODFREY J I GONSALVES
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
9822158584
__________________________________________________________
Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your partner now. Go to http://yahoo.shaadi.com
