Setback for TMC as ex-CM Luizinho Faleiro backs down from Goa assembly poll fray

Former CM is reportedly upset over party’s decision to field him from Fatorda

@the_news_21

Mumbai: In a major setback to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) just days ahead of the February 14 Goa Assembly election, former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro and party’s national vice-president, formally announced on Friday that he was pulling out of the poll fray. The last-minute decision of Faleiro which came on the last day of the filing of nominations has left the TMC in a big fix.

Facing a dearth of experienced candidates, the party has fielded a relative political novice in the form of Advocate Seoula Vas instead of Faleiro from Fatorda constituency.  Seoula Vas will be pitted against Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijai Sardesai, who is the sitting MLA from Fatorda. Faleiro has represented the Navelim constituency in the Goa assembly seven times in the past.

Announcing his decision to newspersons here after withdrawing from the poll fray, Faleiro said “I announce my withdrawal as Goa TMC candidate from Fatorda and hand over the baton to a young woman, a professional (Vas). That has been the policy of the party to empower the women.” 

Flanked by the TMC’s Goa in-charge Mahua Moitra, Seoula Vas and TMC leader and Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao, Faleiro further stated that he had taken this decision after consulting the party’s national chairman (West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) as he preferred to “fight and campaign all over Goa for all the TMC candidates” so that they could perform their best in the February 14 election. 

The senior TMC leader further remarked, “My earlier experience says that when I fought the election last time, we could not do justice to them. To replace me, we have a very able Seoula Vas, who will represent the Fatorda constituency.” 

Ever since the TMC has announced Faleiro’s surprise candidature from Fatorda on January 18, the ex-CM has maintained a studied silence. 

According to sources, the party top leadership decision has upset Faleiro, who has little clout in Fatorda and had accordingly conveyed his inability to contest to the TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. The TMC general secretary has vehemently denied speculation that Faleiro has been ‘upset’ with the party’s decision to field him from Fatorda.  

Faleiro’s stony silence has instead fueled rumours of his imminent resignation from the TMC, compelling him to deny such statements as “false, mischievous and malicious.” 

In a series of Tweets on the microblogging site, the TMC leader remarked, “This (resignation rumours) is propaganda being spread by those rattled by the support and blessings that the people of Goa have showered on the TMC. The Goa TMC is the only party that is fighting for Goa and will emerge victorious…I embraced the TMC to fight the BJP and their juggernaut and I will not back down from this fight. As a disciplined man, I will continue to work hard till the BJP is defeated.” 

The announcement of Faleiro’s candidature from Fatorda was seen by observers as a move on the TMC’s part to politically corner Sardesai. The GFP chief, despite seemingly successful parleys for a pre-poll alliance with the TMC just two months ago, did a complete volte face at the last minute and instead allied with the Congress. With Faleiro out of the reckoning, Sardesai hopes to seek a comfortable third term from Fatorda.  

The TMC, despite its strident campaigning and initial successes in poaching leaders mainly from the Congress (including Faleiro), has been rocked by a series of defections and resignations with a number of leaders, who had joined the party earlier are now leaving it in droves. 

The last major leader to leave the TMC was Yatish Naik – general secretary of the party’s Goa unit who resigned on Tuesday. Earlier, former MLA Lavoo Mamledar and ex-Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco too had quit the TMC weeks after joining the party.