Congress’ STRONGEST PILLAR falls

Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: In a major jolt to the Goa Congress unit ahead of the 2022 elections, a veteran leader and sitting Navelim MLA  Luizinho Falerio tendered his resignation as the legislator of Goa State Legislative Assembly.
With this development, the Congress party is reduced to having only four MLAs. The strength of the Assembly was also reduced to 39.
Giving rest to all speculations, Faleiro, former CM, submitted his resignation to Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar at 12.30 pm today. Luizinho has already announced his intention to join Trinamool Congress this afternoon.
Reiterating that he is a Congressman of 40-years, Faleiro said, “I will continue to be a Congressman of the Congress family. This family has to come together if we have to fight Modi”.
Claiming that he and Goans suffered due to Congress, Luizinho appealed to the people to end the suffering and bring a new dawn in Goa.
“TMC leader Mamata Banerjee is a street fighter, and Goa needs her”, he asserted.
The Congress party, which became the single largest party in the state with 17 seats in the 2017 elections, has reduced to four after a series of defections marred the party.
“I am a Congressman of 40 years. And I will continue to be a Congressman of the Congress family. This family has to come together if we have to fight Modi. Among all the four Congresses, it is Mamata who has given a tough fight to Narendra Modi and their juggernaut,” he told supporters at his residence.
Meanwhile, Faleiro and GPCC general secretaries Adv Yatish Naik and Vijai Pai and Secretary Mario Pinto also tendered their resignation from their respective posts.
TMC had been in talks with Luizinho Faleiro and has made him an offer, said the sources.
ON SUNDAY, the TMC is preparing to make its foray into Goa and the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee publicly announced this at Mamata Banerjee’s campaign in Bhabanipur.
TMC MPs Derek O’Brien and Prasun Banerjee recently visited Goa ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
Members of Prashant Kishor’s IPAC are also camping in Goa to prepare the groundwork for the party to make its mark in the BJP-ruled state.
Goemakrponn was first to break teh story of Luizinho Faleiro quitting Congress to join TMC.
It is being said that Faleiro will now join the TMC and will be elected to Rajya Sabha.