Report and pictures from Sanjay Borkar in Margao
for Daijiworld Media Network - Goa

Margao, Mar 10: Congress Lok Sabha member from South Goa Churchill Alemao on Saturday announced that he would leave Congress on right time and would contest assembly election from Navelim Constituency, most likely under the banner of the newly formed ‘Save Goa Democratic Party.

Over the last several months, people were confused about Alemao’s political move. He had placed several demands before the Congress Party and had said if they failed to meet them demands he would quit the party.

At a workers' convention held on Saturday evening on the historical Lohia Maidan in Margao, he announced his next move to contest assembly election is on ‘Save Goa Democratic party’ ticket and said that he would resign as MP on right time as he did not want both elections to be held at same time.

In his speech he lambasted Congress MLAs and ministers and said that they knew only one job and that was to loot the Goans.

Alemao also lambasted present MLA of Navelimm constituency, education minister Luizinho Faleiro, who is also of Congress Party and said that he would defeat him in this election with people's support.

Rumours were making rounds that Alemao would join ‘United Goans Democratic Party’ (UGDP), as he had earlier said that he would join only a regional party.

UGDP vice president advocate Radharao Gracias, who is very close to Alemao, was present on the dais at Saturday's convention. Addressing the workers, he (Gracias) said that Alemao should join the UGDP, and if he did party he would be given the president's post as well as his nine supporters would be inducted into the executive committee.

In this regard Alemao replied that he was ready to join Party only if his 11 men are included in the executive committee and only if all the powers were given to him. But the sources in UGDP say that they (UGDP) would not accede tp his demands.

As there is no choice now, Alemao will have to contest from Navelim Constituency on ‘Save Goa Democratic Party’ ticket.

Alemao said that state government had just put the Mopa Airport project and the regional plan into cold storage but not scrapped totally. If the ministers behind these projects gets elected again, this project may come into reality. For this reasons, these ministers and MLAs should be send to home in the forthcoming election, he added.

Convener of the neeting advocate Mike Mehta, Anton Gaonkar, Bishut Timud, Alemao's daughter Sharon Alemao, councillor Ghanshyam Shirodkar, Dr Wilfred Misquitta, Fr Michael Rebello, Kennedy Alphonso, president of Save Democratic Party Siddhant Buyao, Tara Kerkar and other spoke in this meeting.

Around 7 thousand people attended the meeting.