CHURCHILL HEADS FOR DELHI TO MEET PAWAR Likely to lay down preconditions to join NCP By: Herald Reporter
MARGAO, JAN 5 - Following the resignation of TCP Minister Babush Monserrate, the Congress camp has to wait and watch for further political developments to unfold in the next three days as Member of Parliament Churchill Alemao is leaving for New Delhi on Saturday. The MP will be leading a 15 member group of supporters from across the Stat e tomorrow evening and will call on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supreme Sharad Pawar on January 7, at around 11 am, in New Delhi. Those expected to accompany Mr. Alemao include Schedule Tribes leader and former Curtorim MLA Anton Gauncar, former MMC chairperson Ganashyam Shirodkar and former Navelim sarpanch Bishut Themudo. While Mr. Alemao and his entourage is expected to offer the Maratha strongman a handshake, sources said that the MP will also use the opportunity to call on other senior leaders before returning to Goa on January 10. Though Mr. Alemao did not specify the purpose behind his Delhi mission, sources close to him said that he will take a decision to embrace the NCP only after Mr. Pawar meets his demands. One demand that could be made is that the NCP severs ties with the Congress in Goa and he (Mr. Alemao) be allowed to take charge of the party (NCP) in the State. Sources said the MP is expected to stress on these demands as a pre-condition to join the NCP. For, an alliance between the Congress and NCP will leave the MP high and dry, especially since he has set his eyes on Navelim constituency represented by his bete noire and Industries Minister Luizinho Faleiro. That Churchill's visit to Delhi is being keenly watched is evident by the interest shown by Congressmen, who have kept their fingers crossed on whether the NCP chief Sharad Pawar will go to the extent of breaking the alliance in Goa and face the possible repercussions the decision would have on the UPA Government and in neighbouring Maharashtra. The MP's visit has also evoked interest among the leaders of the United Goanss Democraic Party (UGDP), hoping tha t the MP would finally land in the regional party if at all Alemao's plans to embrace the NCP goes haywire. COMMENTS: Dear Radharao Gracias, Sir, We at goasuraj smell your hand in designing this report. You are very right. The UGDP under your care has not only evoked interest in Churchill Alemao, but you have been grooming Churchill for a long time to make a come back to his former party, the UGDP. You think Goans are fools to believe you that the Maratha strongman would give-in to the demands of Churchill Alemao to sever ties with the Congress in Goa and to make him Goa NCP's No.1?? This is the height of imagination. And you expect us to believe that Pawar will put wily Willie to the trough? Oh! Come on, man !. We know that you have been waiting to land a perfect excuse for Churchill to go back to your UGDP. But unlike you, we are of the understanding that Churchill should have never left the UGDP. How about Babush's resignation? Is it not your brainchild too? This way, Babush gets a clean bill of health to go back to the UGDP, and which you have been planning for a long while. As a matter of fact, we do believe that Babush's hand that painted the RP-2011 red was guided by your expert hand. A sincere advice to you, though. Do not put too many eggs in your basket, for one thing, rotten ones too. You may be forced to shed the basket it self. However, we wish you all the very best in this game of your expertise. Floriano goasuraj