Ex-Goa CM Luizinho Faleiro, 9 others join Trinamool Congress

Former Goa Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro, who joined the Trinamool Congress, is expected to play a crucial role in the party's plans of expansion of its organisational base in northeast India.

Kolkata: Ten leaders from Goa, including former chief minister Luizinho Faleiro, joined the Trinamool Congress Wednesday. More leaders from Goa will join Trinamool Congress Thursday.

"Four of our leaders, namely Sukendu Sekhan Ray, Prasun Banerjee, Derek O'Brien and Manoj Tiwari are already in Goa and they have informed that more leaders from the state will join Trinamool Congress tomorrow," said Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Saugata Roy at the function where Faleiro and nine others joined Mamata Banerjee's party.

Last Monday, Faleiro resigned as a member of Congress as well as a member of the Goa Legislative Assembly. He has almost 60 years of experience in politics. Besides being the former chief minister of Goa, Faleiro has also held important organisational positions in the Congress party, including that of observer for the party for different northeastern states, including Tripura. Political observers feel that, besides setting its presence in Goa, Faleiro might now play a crucial role in Trinamool Congress's plans of expansion of its organisational base in northeast India.

Luizinho Faleiro and nine others were welcomed to Trinamool Congress by the party's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, who wrapped them with Trinamool Congress symbol-printed cloak and also handed over the party flag to them.

After joining Trinamool Congress, Faleiro said that he resigned from Congress two days back and he is happy to join Trinamool Congress.

"But my resignation is aimed at unification of Congress, which is now divided between Indira Congress, YSR Congress, Sharad Pawar Congress and Trinamool Congress. My aim now is unification of Congress. And I have joined Trinamool Congress to defeat BJP," he said.

He said that since the BJP came to power, India has gone back 45 years.

"The situation in Goa is too bad. There had been a total economic meltdown. There is no governance there. There had been illegal mining loot in Goa as per the observation of the Supreme Court of India. Goa, once a jewel on the crown for India, is now going back," he said.

He said that despite being sidelined in Congress, he maintained a dignified silence for two years.

"There was betrayal with the people of Goa. So even when I was asked to continue as the president of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee I refused to accept that post," he said.

Although he refused to make any critical comment against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, he indirectly said that the Congress as a party failed to understand the pulse and passion of Goa.

When asked whether West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be the face of an anti- BJP forum at the national level, Faleiro said that with her past records. he is sure that she will become the leadership face of a unified Congress. He also said that he is quite sure in the coming Goa assembly elections, Trinamool Congress will emerge as the victor since the people of Goa are quite irritated with BJP and they need a credible face in the ruling position.

"Once Didi was a senior Congress leader. But when she left Congress she had the fire. And now she has the power," Faleiro said.

According to him, Goa and West Bengal have many things in common like football, culture and love for peace.

"On this, I had a long discussion with the Chief Minister. We are sure that we will pick up in Goa in the next two to three months," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Abhishek Banerjee said that the major difference between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress now is that the Congress is constantly getting defeated by the BJP, while the BJP is getting constantly defeated by Trinamool Congress.

"If the Congress is not doing anything we cannot remain silent. Rather than being keyboard warriors like Congress, we want to be real warriors against the BJP," Banerjee said.

He also made it clear that in Goa Trinamool will fight it out alone.