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If the young Valanka Alemao 27, daughter of Goa's
first Catholic Chief Minister, ex MP, present MLA of
Navelim Assembly Constituency, President of the six
month old Save Goa Front, and niece of Mr Joaquim
Alemao INC MLA of Cuncolim Assembly Constituency
----gets a ticket from the oldest (122 years) Indian
political party and the worlds large democratic party
viz; Indian National Congress to contest the Lok
Sabha, Mormugao Parliamentary Consituency bye election
on 30th October, 2007 caused by the resignation on
8th May 2007 of her father Mr Churchill Alemao then
INC MP -- it would be out of sheer grit and
determination of her father Churchill Braz Alemao who
has proved to be an excellent go getter and this would
obviously spite some top Congressmen and bound to stir
a hornets nest.
There are daggers drawn within the rank and file of
the Goa Unit of the INC. It was none other than the
President of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Mr
Francisco Sardinha ex CM ex MP and ex MLA Curtorim
Assembly Constituency who fired the first salvo
questioning the integrity and loyalty of Mr Alemao to
stake his claim for a INC ticket for Valanka. It may
be recalled that Mr Alemao quit the INC party on two
ocassions to form the UGDP then the SGF and recently
hobnobbed with the BJP to form the Goa Democratic
Alliance and disband the same after he was assured and
appeased by the INC High Command to save the INC led
coalition in Goa and earned a top portfolio PWD in the
ministry.
But the INC voters in Goa know too well it was both Mr
Sardinha and Dr Wilfred A De Souza ex MLA Saligao who
had lent a shoulder to the right wing hindu
fundamentalist party to technically constitute a
ruling coalition and sit on the Treasury benches,
without the mandate of the people and that except for
Mr John Fernandes ex MP Rajya Sabha and the present MP
Mr Shantaram L Naik none can be considered as loyal
Congressmen.
But notwithstanding last minute glitches before the
nominations are actually filed ( 12th October, 2007 is
the last date for filing nominations) there is another
serious development which may threaten the stability
of the ruling dispensation in Goa if Mr Alemao does
not have his way.
According to a Save Goa Front loyalist the INC High
Command had agreed to provide Ms Valanka Alemao (one
of the six siblings of Mr Alemao---a fledging
advocate associate of Fox Mandal Little New
Delhi,(2004) Solicitors and Advocates --India'slargest
law firm, and also the 4th largest law firm in Asia) a
ticket for the Mormugao Parliamentary Constituency and
a ministerial berth to Mr Alemao if he pledged support
to the INC coalition in Goa. This he did and now is
Mr Alemao's turn to get his demands met they argue.
With Ms Margaret Alva ex General Secretary All India
Congress Committee looking after the Goa desk being
given a boot in the recent AICC organisational
reshuffle September, 2007 end, her misrepresentation
of ground realities in Goa -- designed to ensure her
writ runs large in Goan politics has abruptly ended.
The new incumbent is yet to learn the ropes of Goan
politics.
Mr Alemao however has had close contacts with the
Vadra's, in laws of Ms Priyanka Gandhi nee Vadra and
other loyalists like Priya Ranjan das Munshi Union
Minister from West Bengal (a close football associate
too of the Churchill brothers )He is also known to
have an amiable disposition towards those that matter.
His maganamity and man management is excellent both
in Goa and in Parliament and this has caused
resentment and heart burning to those who are eclipsed
because of his larger than life status. In fact
Congress men in Salcete feel dwarfed in front of Mr
Alemao and hence pledge to cut him to size at any
available opportunity.
It is easy for many in public to make him a subject of
ridicule ( Ms Alva once called him a joker -- but
apparently Mr Alemao has always had the last laugh)
In the present turmoil Mr Alemao seems to be fighting
a political battle with the Catholic Brahmins viz; Mr
Eduardo Faleiro, Mr Francisco Sardinha Dr Wilfred A De
Souza and Dr Wilfred Mesquita --and also with some
Hindu Saraswats like Mr Sidhant Buyao son of late Mr
Ulhas Buyao . The later two quit the SGF for fear that
Mr Alemao may disband the SGF. There is also Mr
Aleixo Lourenco of the SGF who is caught in a dilema
for he has not been suitably rewardes for his support
to the INC. Many fear that Mr Alemao's
determination to obtain official status for Konkani in
Roman script will erase in one stroke the monopoly of
some of the 3 % Saraswats and hence they have been
acting from behind the curtains to create confusion
within the rank and file of the INC. Add to these are
others like the UGDP Secretary General Mr Anacleto
Viegas who does not see eye to eye with Mr Alemao and
of course his only son's godfather Mr Luisinho Faleiro
ex CM ex MLA Navelim. Even the restoration works of
the road constructed apparently in violation of CRZ at
Carmona (behind the Church) is believed to have
antagonised a remote beneficiary Mr Aleixo Sequeira
MLA Loutolim another Catholic Brahmin and hence it
appears that his blunt "no" to Valanka being granted
the ticket arises from this act of restoration which
apparently has the blessings of Mr Alemao.
There is a hype being created by word of mouth that
the Alemao's are trying to consolidate their position
in South Goa;s politics atleast in the stronghold of
Salcete which has eight Assembly constituencies 30
Panchayats and two Municipalities and has the highest
NRI deposits.
It is said that Margao in Salcete is the bedrock of
Goan politics and the cause supreme for instability in
governance. Keeping this is mind CM Mr Digamber Kamat
has been reticent in admitting that he is merely a
caretaker CM and would abide by the dictats of the
High Command.
Mr Alemao is perhaps the only politician who brags
about his achievements, but like it or not, he is the
only politician in Goa who has a mass appeal and who
can use this appeal to convert the same into votes not
only in his constituency but beyond.
For the 29.6% Catholics in Goa who are now being
slowly relagated to second class citizens post
liberation many niz Goencars feel that with the
changing demographic composition of the State Mr
Alemao could easily have been cultivated suitably to
endear to the aspirations of Goans rather than
ridicule him despite achieving many things which has
given pride and respectability to the Catholics who
are otherwise being treated as second class citizens.
The latest development however is that the INC led
coalition is threatened by the fact that one of its
MLA's from Pale Constitutency is reportedly seriously
ill and his absence in the House could change the
permutations and combinations in the ruling
dispensation.
This it is this fear that INC members feel and the
battle now is whether the INC needs to seek the
support of the MGP brothers by permitting them to vote
(presently they have no voting rights ) and also admit
Ms Victoria Fernandes to save the ruling coalition.
The coming two days are crucial and a wait and watch
scenario is fast emerging. WillMr Alemao cut the INC
to size or vice versa is what many Goans are watching.
from the Cavelossim Mobor end
GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES,
BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA)
+91 98221 58584 (24 HRS)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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