Panaji, Oct 13 (HERALD): The Nationalist Congress Party has cleared the decks for Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate to join the party.

NCP State President Jose Philip D’Souza said in Panjim that talks were on with Monserrate. “I have met Babush and talks are on with him on his joining NCP. It will happen in the future,” D’Souza said.

Monserrate was recently expelled from the Congress after working against the party in the Panjim bypolls where he had supported BJP candidate Siddharth Kunkolienkar who had defeated Congress candidate Surendra Furtado.

NCP in Goa is also spreading its wings in South Goa, with some 60-odd supporters of Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado joining the party on Monday. D’Souza has announced that the party will field candidates in all 40 constituencies in the 2017 assembly elections.

“We will be going full-fledged in South Goa in the coming Assembly polls and party activities will be strengthened in the coming days,” D’Souza said.

George Barretto and others, including former sarpanchas and panchas from Navelim constituency, joined NCP on Monday. They had supported Furtado in the 2012 Assembly polls when he defeated Congress candidate Churchill Alemao.

Baretto said that he had supported the winning candidates in the last two Assembly elections and this time he will support NCP. “I don’t have any complaint against Furtado but it is my decision to join NCP under the leadership of Jose Philip,” Baretto said.