Parrikar’s decision to stop mining was wrong Did not offer a ticket to Reginald; His decisions have been childish
Goemkarponn Editor SURAJ NANDREKAR speaks to former minister and former Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on a host of issues, including his switch to Congress, the 2019 Coup in Congress, the mining saga, denial of ticket to Reginald etc. 
Excerpts:
Goemkarponn: After winning twice on the BJP ticket, now you are going to voters asking for votes on the hand symbol for the first time. How has been the response?
Micheal Lobo (ML): People of the Calangute constituency, especially the coastal belt of Candolim and Calangute, were always inclined towards Congress. When I got elected in 2012, many people like Joseph Sequeira and others supported me, and there was the winds of change blowing, and in that change wave, I got elected. Again in the last elections, I got elected on a BJP ticket because of my work.
So now, when I go to the people asking for votes, considering my work, they smile at me and assure me that they are with me.
Goemkarponn: So basically, you mean to say that if you had gone to the people with the BJP symbol this time, people would have not voted for you?
ML: I would have gone on the BJP symbol but the way some party (BJP) leaders started behaving, the main core workers of the party, who had actually made the party so big, were being sidelined. You see, Micheal Lobo has been sidelined for what reason? Just because we are the followers of Late Manohar Parrikar, this was another reason. You could see openly that Parrikar’s son (Utpal) was denied the ticket. These are some reasons I decided a few months back that I won’t be contesting on the BJP ticket. I learned that the BJP agenda during Manohar Parrikar and today’s agenda are different. They think people are obligated to them, and people will vote for them no matter what comes.
Goemkarponn: Why did you wait for the end of term to resign from BJP and join Congress?
ML: There is a lot of vindictive politics which happens. You must be aware of the politics that happens all over India wherein once you go against the ruling dispensation, you are being “fixed”. I didn’t want to get myself fixed, and for what? I have worked for the people, so I decided to join Congress. Congress is a fresh start and new beginning as all the leaders, especially Chief Ministerial candidates, have left the Congress, and only one is left, is Digamber Kamat. The party, which was the single largest party, had five chief ministerial candidates. They couldn’t form the government because they all were fighting for the CMs position.
Goemkarponn: You have been saying that you left BJP because you were neglected and were sidelined but the BJP’s narrative is different. Your opinion?
ML: This is totally wrong what they are saying. I have clarified this on many occasions. I never asked for a ticket for my wife. I had decided not to contest on the BJP ticket before long back. But when I saw that things were moving from bad to worse. I quit because I noticed that the real issues of the people of Goa were not looked at and addressed. Their (BJP) agenda is different. The Chief Minister also tried to divide people lines just before the code of conduct could come on religious lines. This I think he did to impress their national president J.P. Naddaji. But in Goa, it doesn’t work; polarization never works.
Further, the party who tries to do polarization is sent back home. The thing is, Goa is not the place to be ruled, but it has to be loved by the leaders. In a democratic setup, there is nothing as such called ruling. They (BJP) want to rule us; therefore, Micheal Lobo decided to leave.
Goemkarponn: They (BJP) also alleged that you wanted total control of Bardez taluka?
ML: Never! where am I controlling Bardez taluka? I am not controlling anything. People have to control their own taluka, villages, constituencies. People of Mapusa, Aldona will decide who will be the next MLA.
Goemkarponn: But you have been promoting the candidates. Aren’t you?
ML: I am just helping the people identify the best candidate who will remain with the people and work for them. I am making sure that that candidate will stand by the people after winning.
Goemkarponn: You were also seen promoting Tarak Arolkar in Aldona, but Congress denied him a ticket. Please comment.
ML: Tarak Arolkar has been a dear friend of mine for many years. Tarak Arolkar’s area may be in Aldona, but it is in the Mapusa municipal area. People are looking out for a change from the BJP, so I am promoting honest candidates. But whom to give ticket is party’s decision.
Goemkarponn: Last week, you tweeted and indirectly invited former Curotorim MLA Aleico Reginaldo to Congress, but teh party ignored him?
ML: I did not offer him any ticket. I asked him to re-join Congress and strengthen the Congress, nothing wrong with that by saying all these things. It is up to the party to decide whether they will take him or not. He had a stronghold in Congress; he was a true Congressman. He wanted to join the Aam Admi Party (AAP) because he got fed up with everybody leaving Congress. He rethought about joining AAP, where he felt he might be going wrong. His ticket was confirmed in Congress, and despite that, he resigned from Congress and joined Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) when he realized that TMC was no good for him. He then resigned from TMC and was waiting to join Congress. I don’t know what Congress thought about Reginaldo, and I even had a thought about what’s wrong with Reginaldo. So much instability of the mind is bad for a politician. You should know what you’re doing. Like I had decided with due consultation with my constituency people, people of Siolim, Saliegao, Mapusa constituency.
Goemkaponn: Realistically, how many seats do you think Congress will win this election?
ML: 22 plus in 2022, that was my slogan.
Goemkarponn: If you are elected to power, what would be your position in the Congress party?
ML: That party will decide I cannot. Now Congress is a party with headquarters in Delhi, so they and the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee will determine my role in the next Congress government. But I am confident that the government is forming of Congress…Yeah, sure!
Goemkarponn: It is being said that Congress will project you as a Chief minister. Please Comment.
ML: See I cannot comment on this topic. We also have a senior leader in the Congress party.
Goemkarponn: What if you give five seats to Congress in Bardez taluka? Will you claim CM’s post?
ML: Again, I am telling you we have a senior person in Congress, Digambar Kamat, who is the only person who remained with the Congress when everybody abandoned the sinking ship.
Goemkarponn: Then why Congress is not declaring him (Kamat) as a Chief Ministerial face?
ML: Everybody was saying that the ship was sinking except Micheal Lobo. My brain said that this ship could not sink. I am telling you Kamat is a senior most person and the Ex-Chief Minister of Congress party. It is up to the party to decide whether he will be the Chief Minister. We must wait for the verdict of the people of Goa who want change. They will bring the difference in Congress as the party is giving fresh and clean faces this time.
Goemkarponn: Your rivals in Calangute who were earlier with Congress members have joined TMC is it going to hurt you somewhere?
ML: Now, when I look at them, I smile at them, thinking, what are they up to and where they are heading? But a leader must have a vision. Whenever I sit at home and think about what I would do next, I go out and do that next thing. When I was an MLA, our debates used to occur in the assembly. When Parrikar was there in the assembly, he would look at me and listen to what I had to say on tourism, mining etc. Once when I was deputy speaker, and I was talking about mining, Parrikar stopped writing his notes and listened to what I was saying. I tried to tell him that you are the cause of stopping mining in Goa, which is the guts one needs to have.
Goemkarponn: So you blame Parrikar squarely for mining closure?
ML: I am not accusing him (Parrikar) of anything. He was a great leader, but that particular thing did not go down well with the people of Goa. You should not stop something. He stopped it (mining).
Goemkarponn: You said at the start of the interview that you are a Parrikar loyalist. If Manohar Parrikar was alive, would Micheal Lobo leave the party?
ML: No. See the party with the difference I said in the assembly because of Manohar Parrikar. He used to take everyone along when he was there. If even he says no, he used to convince the opposite person nicely. For Goans, be it Hindu or Muslim, Manohar Parrikar was Goan. Nobody religiously looked at him, like how these (BJP) people are trying to polarize now to get the votes. They thought that all the Hindus would vote for them, no.
Goemkarponn: What do you have to say about the denial of ticket to Utpal Parrikar? Isnt it an injustice on Manohar Parrikar?
ML: What is wrong if he wants to come into politics. When Utpal wants to come to politics who all are obstructing them, people should see that thing.
Goemkarponn: Who do you think is obstructing his entry?
ML: No. I will name them after the election.
Goemkarponn: There are allegations that you have been planted in Congress on social media that you could break away from them after the election?
ML: This breaking away has to stop now. If we cannot give Goans a concrete word of assurance, then we should leave politics. People who put so much trust in us elect us. People from my constituencies will be electing Congress candidates. Breaking the trust of the people and going to other parties is wrong. If one feels that things are not right in one party, he should resign, recontest, and go to the people.
Goemkarponn: But in 2019, you seem to have played a major role in splitting Congress MLAs?
ML: No! that is wrong. I did not mastermind 2019 coup. At the last minute, I was informed that ten MLAs will be joining tomorrow, the day after tomorrow will be the swearing-in ceremony, and you will be one minister. When the Chief Minister tells me this, I have to be present.
