Luizinho quits Cong, praises Mamata but delays formally joining TMC
The Congress in Goa suffered yet another blow with its senior leader and former CM Luizinho Faleiro quitting as MLA and later primary membership of the party but stopped short of formally announcing his entry into West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress although he gave all indications he will do so .
Interestingly Faleiro, however, indicated he may not contest the 2022 assembly elections in Navelim, lending a semblance of credence to the reports speculating that the Kolkata outfit has offered him a Rajya Sabha seat.
On Monday evening, the veteran politician dodged questions on the issue of his joining TMC which is being widely suggested in media reports over last few days.
"I will let you know soon," was Faleiro's curt response to a question on whether he is joining the TMC.
To another corollary question as to which party he will fight the 2022 assembly elections Faleiro retorted with, "I will let you know whether I will contest or not very soon once I have decided."
Known to be a a steadfast Gandhi family loyalist in the three decades that he was in the Congress until Monday, Faleiro more than amply gave away his decision to join the TMC saying: "I will definitely support Mamata because she is a fighter and has succeeded in the fight against the divisive present dispensation in Delhi."
Sources say, Faleiro's formal induction in TMC could happen as early as Wednesday in Kolkata and he is expected to fly to the 'City of Lights' on Tuesday together with some leaders and current Congress office bearers from Goa.
Two general secretaries of the GPCC, Yatish Naik and Vijay Poi, were present and flanked Faleiro at Monday's press conference.
Aware that his surprise move to quit the Congress, a party he had stayed loyal to for over three decades, could earn him some negative backlash, Faleiro said "out of the box" thinking to fight the divisive forces active in Goa and the country and insisted he will always remain a Congressman and part of the Congress family.
Mamledar to join Trinamool
Former Ponda MLA Lavoo Mamledar said he too would be joining the TMC.
The former MGP leader, who was humiliated and later expelled from the MGP, was in touch with the TMC leaders in West Bengal.
"I have been in discussion with TMC leaders since the first week of September. I will be flying to Kolkata on Tuesday and will formally join the TMC,” said Mamledar. Lavoo said Faleiro has taken a timely and prompt decision to join the TMC. "I congratulate Faleiro for taking the right decision and at the right time. The Congress was not doing well since 2017,” he said.