Ahead of Goa assembly polls ex-MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco quits TMC less than a month after joining it

The former three-time MLA had deserted the Congress for the TMC; now hints at re-joining Congress. He is the third Congressman to retrace his steps back to the parent party.

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Mumbai: The volatile political arena in Goa already afflicted by party hoppers playing musical chairs is now witnessing reverse flow with former Congress leaders quitting the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC). The latest to retrace his steps back to the Congress is former three-time MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco now quitting the TMC less than a month after he had joined it.  

The former MLA from Curtorim in South Goa, quit the TMC on Sunday without giving any reason. He had sent a handwritten resignation letter to the TMC chief informing her about his decision to leave the party. 

Lourenco further said that his supporters had urged him to rejoin the Congress party. 

He remarked, “Congress leader Michael Lobo has asked me to rejoin the Congress party. I will listen to what my people say.” Lobo, a former BJP minister-turned-Congressman, had urged Lourenco to rejoin and “boost the Congress’ strength in Goa.” 

On Monday, a repentant Lourenco appearing before the media copiously apologised to his supporters and well-wishers for committing the mistake of deserting the Congress for the TMC. He had left the Congress despite the party including his name in the first list of eight candidates. 

A remorseful Lourenco remarked “When I took the decision (to join TMC), I hurt a lot of people, be it close friends, well-wishers, my supporters and my family… I took this decision in the interests of my people because I was promised a new dawn by joining the TMC.” He further added that he had faced a huge ‘backlash’ from his loyal constituents following his decision to join the TMC. 

The former MLA further justified his quitting the TMC on grounds that his supporters were apprehensive about his alliance with an ‘outside party’ that would split votes in the Goa election. 

Barely a month ago, Lourenco had defended his entry into the TMC by remarking that it was the only party capable of taking on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Goa. He had even gone to the extent of censuring the Goa Congress for what he called as “dithering and vacillation” in formulating a concrete strategy against the BJP, which had allegedly forced him into quitting the party.   

Lourenco’s exit from the Congress in December last year had left the severely-depleted Congress with just two MLAs in its fold – former Chief Ministers and veterans Digambar Kamat and Pratapsingh Rane. Lourenco had resigned as the MLA from Curtorim and also as a member of Congress last December to join the TMC.  

The former Congress MLA was also a working president of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee, had attracted widespread censure from his party top brass with veterans like Digambar Kamat condemning his ‘suicidal step’ in joining the TMC. 

Kamat had also said that the Congress had given too much importance to Lourenco and had “pampered” the ex-MLA by overlooking his mistakes even after the latter had held meetings with BJP election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) representatives. 

According to Goa-based academic and political analyst Manoj Kamat, Lourenco’s desire to return to the Congress fold was proof that the TMC’s strategy of indiscriminate poaching in Goa was failing. 

Manoj Kamat remarked that “Lourenco has apparently realised that the cult of personality is not stronger than the brand image of the Congress, his former party. He thought he would easily win on a TMC ticket. However, Curtorim has always been a Congress bastion regardless of who contests from there, and Lourenco perhaps realises that he is not bigger than his former party.” 

He further expressed the possibility that the Congress, despite announcing a hardline on defectors, may re-induct Lourenco into the party fold for pragmatic reasons. Manoj Kamat added, “In the event the Congress takes him in again, the party will make sure to clip Lourenco’s wings and will not be so tolerant of his future indiscretions (talks with other parties).”  

Last month, another ex-Goa MLA, Lavoo Mamledar had resigned from the TMC within months of joining it accusing Mamata Banerjee led party of being ‘communal’ in nature and trying to divide ‘Goan’s on the basis of religion’.  

Mamledar, a former legislator from the Ponda Assembly constituency in South Goa, who left the TMC along with four others after dashing-off a strongly worded letter to Mamata Banerjee, later remarked that he thought the West Bengal-based party ‘worse than the BJP’.