Goa Election: Aleixo Reginald Lourenco resigns from TMC, likely to rejoin Congress

Ahead of the Goa Assembly elections 2022, Aleixo Reginald Lourenco, who was once a sitting Goa Congress MLA and later joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC), resigned from the TMC on Sunday. He is expected to rejoin the Congress, sources informed. In December 2021, Lourenco had resigned as an MLA from the grand old party. 

Soon after Lourenco's resignation, TMC Goa in charge, Mahua Moitra said, "AITC has received a letter from Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco resigning from primary membership of the party. We had welcomed him into the party as we have countless others. Now that he wishes to leave, we wish him well."

Last month, after Lourenco had joined the TMC, senior Congres leader P Chidambaram had stated, “Ninety-nine per cent of Congress workers remain with the Congress. I am not unhappy that Mr Reginaldo Lourenco defected to the TMC. The TMC has taken a losing candidate from our hands and, if it fields him in the election, he will remain a losing candidate.”

Goa Election 2022

The Election Commission of India on January 8 announced that Goa will go to the polls on February 14. The counting of votes shall take place on March 10. 

With 11,56,762 registered voters on the electoral rolls, the polling stations have been increased to 1,722. In view of the COVID-19 situation, all physical rallies and roadshows have been banned until January 22 and the polling time has been increased by 1 hour. 

While the BJP is the ruling party in Goa, in opposition are Goa Forward Party, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, Congress and debutants Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC).