Ex-Goa CM Luizinho Faleiro's exit ruptures Congress-TMC bonhomie ahead of Assembly polls

Former Goa Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro's exit from Congress on Monday dealt a big blow to the party's growing bonhomie with Mamata Banerjee-led TMC. The senior Congress leader has represented the Navelim constituency 7 times from 1980 and served as the CM for two terms. While describing his resignation as "unfortunate", AICC Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao dubbed this development as a "blessing in disguise" citing that he had lost connection with the people of Navelim.

"Actually, we have had many people wanting to contest in Navelim. Because Luizinho was there, we were holding them back. Though we have lots of information that he has lost touch with the people. We were actually reassessing what to do with the constituency," Rao claimed in a press conference.

On this occasion, he questioned the real intention of TMC in seeking to contest the upcoming Goa Assembly election. Questioning the rationale of the party taking the poll plunge merely three-four months before the election, the AICC Goa in-charge alleged that this was the "Modi-Shah model" in operation. Earlier, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien revealed that his party will soon announce its Chief Ministerial face for the polls. 

Dinesh Gundu Rao remarked, "We do not know the real intention of TMC coming to Goa whether they have actually come as Derek O'Brien recently has said that they will be contesting from here. But the timing, their approach- I think a lot of questions still have to be answered. Because what are they coming here to do? Who are they coming here to help? What is their true agenda still has to be revealed."

Political scenario in Goa

In the 2017 Goa Assembly polls, BJP suffered a huge blow in the absence of its stalwart leader Manohar Parrikar as it could win only 13 seats in contrast to Congress whose candidates won in 17 constituencies. Moreover, the incumbent CM Laxmikant Parsekar failed to retain his own seat. As none of the two main parties could win a majority on its own, the role of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (3 seats), Goa Forward Party (3 seats), 3 Independents and a lone NCP MLA became very crucial.

In an astonishing turn of events, BJP staked claim to form the government with the support of 3 MGP MLAs, 3 GFP MLAs, two Independents and the NCP MLA. Parrikar resigned as the Defence Minister to return as the Chief Minister of Goa to lead this coalition government. However, a vacuum emerged in the state after he passed away on March 17, 2019. While erstwhile Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant replaced him, the rift within the ruling parties widened.

In the next few months, both Deputy CMs in the Parrikar Cabinet- MGP chief Sudin Dhavalikar and GFP president Vijai Sardesai were sacked from the Cabinet. But, BJP consolidated its position completely only after 10 Congress MLAs including Chandrakant Kavlekar, Atanasio Monserrate, Jeniffer Monserratte, Francis Silveira, Philip Nery Rodrigues, Cleaofacio Dias, Wilfred Dsa, Nilkant Halarnkar and Isidor Fernandes joined the saffron party on July 10, 2019. In April this year, Speaker Rajesh Patnekar dismissed the disqualification petitions filed against the 10 Congress legislators.