As General Secretary in charge of Congress Headquarters,Political Patrao remembers seeing Altinho Gomes as the prime mover behindCongress party affairs. Gomes was left seething in anger as he saw the partybecoming bit of a joke. After last year’s humbling of the party, the loyalisthad found his voice and discovered his conscience. He even had revealed ingreat detail to The Goan how the party was listless. However, the loyalist wasliterally shown the door early this week. Congress insiders told PP that theloyalist was asked to go out when Congress Party bearers met early this week.The party members were miffed by Altinho’s plainspeak not only in the media butalso to the office bearers in the meeting. PP wonders that at the rate Congressis muffling its loyalists in the state, who then is running the Congress inGoa?
Excuse me please
Political Patrao wonders why the word Mopa scares thedebating daylights out of Bharatiya Janata Party in the state. In the publicdebate last week, all the bigwigs preferred to stay away. While Chief MinisterManohar Parrikar’s secretariat made it very clear that the CM had already saidwhat he had to say on the floor of the house, Law Commission Chairman NarendraSawaikar kept a safe distance despite still toying with the idea of aparliamentary berth from South Goa. The most accessible of all BJP barons NorthGoa MP Sripad Naik too excused himself saying something had come up. Wonderwhat did Manohar Bab had to fear when his savior in the Assembly, Mauvin Babwas there in all solidarity.
Keep my seat empty
If you thought kissa kursi ka had to do only with thecontroversial film that Indira Gandhi banned, then it isn’t so. Goa Vikas PartySupremo Mickky Pacheco had asked the organisers to keep a place for him in thedebate. Anxious organisers were kept waiting for the former firebrand to turnup and take on Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardessai who he loathes so much in thecontext of Mopa. But the Nuvem MLA did not turn up. Political Patrao wonders ifthis was Mickky’s way of bargaining with ruling BJP for a Cabinet Berth.‘Promise me a berth or else I will take the chair at the anti-Mopa debate.’Poor Pacheco’s wait has cost him opportunities aplenty including taking ananti-Mopa stand and anti-denotification stand. Wonder if his absence from theDabolim-Mopa debate had to do with another carrot hung over him by the BJP.
Luck again says Na-na to his kingdom
For Vasco, Nana Bandekar is the king. The way MormugaoMunicipal Council refused to entertain Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’srequest last month was a testimony to the patriarch of Vasco’s clout in statepolity. The Council ignored Parrikar’s request to revisit a controversial MMCbidding that awarded a shop to a former protégé Councillor Manda Shirodkar’sbrother. But then this time, the state has hit back. Nana’s confidante NitinChopdekar has been served a disqualification notice for irregularities from hisearlier terms. The Directorate of Municipal Administration is rife with thebuzz that seven more Councillors may face the axe, four for Portuguesecitizenship and three for gross irregularity and corruption. The problem, atleast five of those who face disqualification are from Nana’s camp. For onceNana’s boys, Carlos and Milind are keeping their distance safe.
