Kolkata: Former Goa chief minister and seven-time Congress MLA Luizinho Faleiro on Monday filed his nomination on behalf of Trinamool Congress in West Bengal Assembly for election to Rajya Sabha.
The TMC had on Saturday nominated Faleiro's name for the vacancy created in the Upper House after the resignation of thespian-turned-politician, Arpita Ghosh.
Bypoll to the Rajya Sabha seat will be held on November 29. In all probability, Faleiro will get elected uncontested.
Read: Trinamool Congress nominates Luizinho Faleiro for Rajya Sabha
Trinamool Congress naming Faleiro as its Rajya Sabha candidate came as a surprise to many as he was expected to become the party's face in Goa ahead of assembly elections early next year.
Some are questioning if this move is a prior gesture on behalf of Trinamool Congress accepting defeat even before the polls. Some others ask if this gesture is a reflection of the fact that Trinamool Congress' leadership is not pinning any hope of the party’s organizational ability in Goa.
However, some people beg to differ. They argue that Goa assembly elections are not the priorities for Trinamool Congress and the party, keeping the national perspective in mind, is nominating national leaders from other states like Faleiro and Sushmita Deb to the Rajya Sabha.
After filing his nomination, Faleiro said that he is overwhelmed by the faith bestowed on him by the Trinamool Congress supremo and the West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee. “I will raise the issues for both West Bengal and Goa on the floor after being elected as a Rajya Sabha member,” he said.
Speaking on the TMC move, renowned political scientist and the former principal of the-then Presidency College, Dr Amal Kumar Mukhopadhyay said Luizinho Faleiro is, undoubtedly, a national-level leader. “I feel that there is some political arithmetic behind his move in joining Trinamool Congress. No one joins any political party out of sheer love for that party. Surely there had been any sort of understanding between Faleiro and Trinamool Congress leadership. I do not know what that understanding is. But there can be a possibility. Probably, Trinamool Congress is apprehending that some of their candidates might switch political camps after the win. In that case, Faleiro can play a key role in arresting that camp switching,” he said.
Former Registrar of Calcutta University, Raja Gopal Dhar Chakraborty said that no one is expecting Trinamool Congress to achieve miraculous results in the Goa assembly elections. “All I feel is that by nominating Faleiro to the Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress has made an attempt to appease the party’s office-bearers in Goa. Now only time can say how far this move will benefit Trinamool Congress in their national goals,” he said.
